Seven Stars, Protector Of One Hundred And Eight
by AcadianBacon
Summary: Where the North Star shines brightest, chaos will soon follow. Now that his journey has come to an end, Kenshiro is asked by a greater power to come to the aid of the 108 stars, those who've in the past been protected by Hokuto. These 108 are the Sekirei. How will the appearance of the Fist of the God of Death change the Sekirei Project?
1. Chapter 1 Hokuto Burns Bright

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I've come to you with a tale. One that will hopefully span multiple story arcs if I'm able-bodied. This story revolves around the Man with the Seven Scars, Kenshiro of Hokuto no Ken fame. I love this character more than any I've seen, because he's not your typical mild-mannered Anime protagonist. He is considered the Superman of Anime; whenever a new problem rears its head, he has something to counter it. Whether its immunity to poison, super-human strength, or the ability to blow someone's brains out with a pinky, he gets the job done.

I had never seen him written in a role where any sort of affection was pointed his way. Although I found this a little strange, I figured that it was understandable; to be honest, the guy is difficult to get close to. I hope I can break that facade for you now with this story I've written for you, or at least the first chapter.

Enjoy.

- I do not own anything from Hokuto no Ken, nor do I own anything from Sekirei.

* * *

Chapter 1 - Hokuto Burns Bright

* * *

Has it been this long? This long without something to fight for? Friends to protect? ...this long without Yuria?

The setting sun shone brightly this day, the harsh wind cutting into this man's cloak as he trudged on. Though there was no direction, nothing to push him forward, he had to keep moving. So long as he still existed in this world, he would dispense the will of the heavens upon those who would do harm upon the weak and helpless. This he had promised, on the grim day of his destiny's revelation, to a young girl called Danne. Life can be cruel, and has proven itself so time and time again. How many friends has he lost to this madness? How many lives have these mighty fists taken? How much longer, before he can finally find peace in this forsaken world? All this time on his own left him to his thoughts, and they began to wear his spirit thin.

Night was soon upon him, the last vestiges of light from the setting sun a mere sliver on the horizon; not unlike a katana's edge. The stars of Hokuto lit his path well tonight, they appeared to glow with a stronger hue of late.

Seconds, minutes, hours passed. The sound of the wind began to wane, leaving him with only the sound of dried ground crunching under his heel as he kept his steady pace. Shrouded in his own thoughts, the change in scenery only became clear when ancient stone began to hamper the moon and stars from lighting his path. The mouth of a dry ravine loomed before him, bereft of vegetation as was nearly everything in this world. His steps echoed as he proceeded further in.

Time felt as though it stood still, his footfalls echoing throughout the ravine. Natural stone gave way to worked stone walls. The broken remains of ancient statues littered the ground at his feet. This so-called ravine became something else entirely once he reached the end of his journey. Before him, clad in quiet darkness, stood a temple of sorts, its dusty wooden gates closed shut. All around him there was silence; no wind blew, no stones fell from the cliff faces, if someone were to breathe besides himself there would be no doubt that he could detect where it would be coming from.

Something... strange, was pushing him towards this place. Silently guiding him from beyond the stars of Hokuto. Was it the heavens, once again showing him the path to his destiny? Would he finally find the next path within the silent halls of this temple?

Opening the doors was surprisingly easy; whatever lock or bar that had once kept this place shut to outsiders must have rusted away long ago. The night sky brightened with the light of the moon as soon as the doors were ajar. A sign of the heavens?

Though it would take a few minutes before his eyes could become accustomed to the darkness, large statues - similar to those from his master Ryuken's own temple, - lined the walls. Great foreboding statues depicting the war gods of his ancestors.

Through some strange mechanism, or perhaps something otherworldly, old torches ensconced between the statues came to life whenever he crossed their path. The orange glow of the torchlight made shadows dance over the faces of the statues, their eyes almost appearing to be following his progress through the chamber.

The lights led him to the far end of this derelict edifice. Although it was once a beautiful chamber, years of abandonment and neglect has left the dome roof of this main chamber crumble into nothing, letting in shafts of starlight down into this solemn place.

At the epicenter of this chamber, partially shrouded in darkness, sat a somber statue. Its formidable size showed it to be the patron deity of this temple, what features visible in the faint light given off by both stars and torches showing an angry expression, and powerful arms wielding cruel-looking weapons.

The strange pull of this place felt strongest at this chamber, where the great statue of this war-god sat before him. What was this feeling? It felt familiar, and yet he had never experienced this before. Perhaps this had something to do with those practitioners of Hokuto Shinken before him.  
Pushing his cloak off of his shoulders, the man lowered himself into a sitting position, calming his breathing. Putting himself into a meditative state might bring him some insight as to what was compelling him to this sanctuary.

His will forced his primary senses to ignore the sound of the wind outside, to ignore the crackle of the torches. The distant noise of water dripping. Ignore the smells of must and decay, the feeling of the cold, hard stone beneath him. To clear his mind, he had to be empty of everything.

What felt like hours slipped by. His mind's eye could only see utter darkness. And yet, he could feel something just out of view, skirting his vision. The darkness crept back, revealing the war-god statue sitting before him. It loomed over him, like a giant stares down at an insect. Something intense, similar to a fighting aura permeated from the statue. Its eyes felt almost alive, staring down into the very depths of his soul.

Before him, the statue spoke.

"...At last, man of Hokuto. You have come."  
What? Did it speak to him?  
"You know of me?" His voice sounded deep and coarse, due to so much time wandering without human contact.  
"I know of you, as have I known your predecessors before you - back since the days of Yore; during the time of the Three Kingdoms." The voice was deep, akin to what you would expect a mountain to sound had it the ability of speech.  
"Who are you?" There was silence for a moment.  
"I am Bishamonten, god of war. Your people have worshiped me centuries past as the Guardian of the North, and as a dispenser of justice to the wicked. Your Hokuto Shinken was passed down to the very first practitioners through my guidance. I have seen nearly a hundred generations of Hokuto Shinken rise and fall." His words still echoed deep within his heart. The warrior god, one of the mighty four God Kings himself, was addressing him. A bright amber aura lined the edges of the statue. An undeniable pressure exerted upon him. This was different than anyone he had met with the skill to produce such an aura. Stronger than Raoh, even stronger than Kaioh.

"Why did you beckon me, God King?"  
"Because you have a destiny, man of Hokuto; one steeped in the teachings of both the gods and the stars." Goosebumps covered his arms. Although there was no wind, he could feel a chill in the air, running up his spine.  
Bishamonten's eyes were aglow, a soft amber light radiating from the statue.  
"This era of fear and suffering is soon coming to an end; your path has ripped apart the oppressors that would have subjugated the few whom have a chance at peace in this new frontier." A hint of pride rang true in the voice.  
"The people will soon prosper, the horrors of their past mistakes put behind them. Perhaps they will refrain from committing the same mistake twice; that is up to them to decide."  
The amber globes within the statue erupted but for a brief moment.  
"Your journey upon this world has come to an end, Kenshiro."  
After all this time, he knew; this was where he would find peace. He could reunite with his family, his friends. Yuria.

"But your life does not end here, Man of Hokuto; this is simply the beginning of a greater destiny."  
Kenshiro's eyes widened ever so slightly, the remainder of his face creased in a look of quiet scrutiny. "What is the meaning of this? Am I to never find peace?"  
"The fate of one who is entwined in Hokuto is an unfortunate one, but necessary if peace is to return once and for all."

Kenshiro took a deep breath, calming himself. To let his emotions have free reign now would garner him nothing. There was a point to this; there is always a point to all of this.  
"Surrounding the North Star and the Big Dipper are one hundred and eight stars. Though their position changes throughout time, Hokuto remains stalwart and unmoving. Hokuto remains the bulwark against the approaching darkness that threatens to swallow the one hundred and eight."  
Kenshiro digested this information for a time. There was always something deeper to Hokuto's link with the other stars; Nanto Seiken, Gento Koken, they were all linked in some way with the Fist of Hokuto.

"What do the hundred and eight stars have to do with the North Star?"  
"Since time immemorial, the hundred and eight have been under the protection of Hokuto's light; bathed in the protective radiance of the Big Dipper, the hundred and eight hold back the darkness that threatens to envelop all worlds." The last word brought his brow down in thought. Worlds?  
He shut his eyes for a moment, his mind pushing out the myriad of questions nipping at him.

"What has happened that you would beseech my aid, Bishamonten?"  
Were the statue capable of movement, Kenshiro might have seen a smile on its grim features. The light of the statue's eyes shifted and glistened. "The hundred and eight have fallen from the heavens and have taken physical form. A conniving mortal has dared to defile their purity, and is using them for some twisted little game. We will not abide by this; they must be protected."

The concept was a little far-fetched, but who was he to argue? The past few months have all led to this. He had no intention of doubting what was before him.  
"What must I do, God King?"  
A deep rumble shook the pit of Kenshiro's stomach. It was seeping into the core of his being. The sensation was not unlike when he used his Musou Tensei.  
"You must go to them, Kenshiro. You must protect these stars that have fallen from the heavens. The journey will be a strange one, but stranger things are yet to come." The aura around the statue intensified, rays of golden light touching the far walls of the chamber.  
"I shall whisk you through the winds of time, to a different era and place. Be ready, Kenshiro. What you see will be quite different from the life you've known for so long."

The radiance of the statue ebbed for a moment, and was gone; the statue, once again swallowed in darkness. His mind was beginning to wane. He could feel his consciousness slipping rapidly. Soon, there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

Although the moon was bright this night, there were no stars to been seen in the sky above Shin-Tokyo; all the city lights prevented the stars from being seen. At the epicenter of Shin-Tokyo looms a great building, an ivory tower of sorts. At one of its many courtyards, a set of large iron doors raise themselves. Various strangely dressed girls flew out of the opening and into the night.

"That should be the last of them." The voice was feminine, if a but gruff. The lone orange dot of a cigarette revealed the short silver hair and facial scar. The cigarette dissipated into the night air when she released a tired sigh. "Inform the Chairman, and bring me the reports to my desk tomorrow morning. I have a splitting headache."  
"Yes, Takami-san."  
The sound of the footsteps weakened not long after, leaving Sahashi Takami alone in the darkness of the MBI building.  
Taking another drag of her cigarette, a horrible chill runs up her spine. A feeling of dread grabs a hold of her heart as though a frigid clawed hand had taken hold of it, refusing to let go. Due to the surrounding darkness, her eyes were accustomed enough to the night enough to see something shine in the sky. It looked like stars.

"What in the world...?", her voice trailing off when she recognized the cluster of stars as the Big Dipper. They shone brighter and brighter, almost like a beacon. The feeling of dread was squeezing her insides something fierce. Buckling her knees, Takami leaned against the bay doors for support, her eyes locked onto the strange phenomenon.

Takami, her eyes transfixed, managed to catch a glimpse of something descending from where the Big Dipper was situated; a pulse of light coming down from the heavens into the city. The grip on her heart relented, letting her breathe in a sigh of relief. Her brow furrowed in thought.  
"What could have caused that? Was it a meteorite?" She flicked her cigarette onto the concrete. "No meteorite could have made the stars glow bright enough for me to see all the way here in the city."  
As if in answer to her questions, a memory flashed through her mind for but a fleeting moment. An old tapestry depicting three ancient warriors poised in archaic fighting poses, the big dipper woven in their midst. The inscription 'God Fist of the Northern Star' leaped to her attention.  
Her face became pale then, her expression grim. "I'd read the legends... but," her hand raked back her head of hair, "if it has to do with the Big Dipper..."

Groaning with the stress and fatigue of the day's events, Takami shook the grave portents out of her head. It would not do her any good to think about any of this so late at night, and with already so little sleep garnered these days she needed to get to bed.  
With one last wary look at the night sky, she made her way home.

* * *

At a large house, in the northern part of Shin-Tokyo, a young woman was finishing her sweeping as was her normal routine. Her well-kept purple hair and traditional clothes held the moon's glow upon them as she pushed the dust of the day's activities off of the main path.  
Leaning against the butt of her broom, she looked up at the night sky. It was a clear night, even though the city lights prevented her from gazing at the stars. Then something caught her eye.  
A cluster of stars as bright as the moon gleamed on the blanket of night sky. They had a glow to them that warmed her heart. A small smile came to her lips as she star-gazed for a moment; it was as if these seven stars heard her quiet plea.

Something felt strange. The constellation - the Big Dipper as it stands, - appeared to be getting brighter. Her heart was beating harder, as though it was in anticipation of something.  
A burst of light shot forth from the Big Dipper, slicing apart the night sky like the tip of a Katana. A heavy thump hit her chest; like thunder without sound. Putting her hand on her heart, a familiar heat washed over her. The heat one of her kind would feel when an Ashikabi was near.  
"...How?" The word left her lips more as a reflex than true confusion. The feeling came abruptly, but there was no mistaking it; she was reacting strongly to someone. But it had happened the moment something had come down from the sky.

The young maiden's eyes widened, her soft hands gripping the broom handle tightly. Her potential Ashikabi's emotional spectrum hit her. Jaw dropped, mouth working to speak words that would not come, the young maiden tried to make sense of what she was feeling.  
This individual had such a scarred heart, it made her nearly fall to her knees. She had to fight the urge to weep as her eyes shut tightly against the torrent of emotion washing over her.  
She could feel his heart, a serene temple of inner peace, a golden glow that overflowed with selflessness and unrequited kindness. At its core, a tightly sealed sphere of righteous fury was roiling like the stomach of a volcano, ready to lash out at this person's beck and call. Holding this core of rage and fury in check was a permeating shroud that she could only explain as love, but it was so much more. Such a pure heart she had never thought possible; that she would specifically feel the heart of someone like this, to know that someone existed with a heart like this was as unlikely as lightning striking twice.  
What had made her stumble were the scars etched deeply across the entire expanse of this person's heart; etched too deeply for anyone to endure. Such scars of sadness, she had difficulty comprehending what could have put them there. As if to give her an understanding, an image of her now deceased husband floated up from the surface of her mind. Each of these scars were similar to her loss. But to have so many...

She had to take deep breaths in order to calm herself, lest she spoke in a broken voice to her tenants when she retired for the night. The urge to find this person was incredible, it had kept her from moving for a few minutes at the very least.  
'No good would come from acting rashly', she thought. Tomorrow was another day, and she would keep this person's heart as close to hers as possible until they finally met face to face.

* * *

Throughout Shin-Tokyo, Sekirei felt the presence of their Hokuto counter-part. A feeling of warmth entered their hearts as one, a missing feeling having been given back to them. Though all Sekirei could sense the change within them, only a rare few could sense the coming of someone unexpected. Their hearts beat as one, wept as one, for this person who had the potential of being their Ashikabi.

One such person looked forlornly to the sky where the star of Hokuto shimmered in the night, wandering the city with nowhere to go, feeling something she should no longer be allowed to feel.

Another gazed out of her room's window, a hand on her chest. Her longing for her Ashikabi had been powerful, but the sensation it had brought proved to be more than she felt she could handle. Her hands idly stroked a wagtail costume she had been fixing, her mind wandered elsewhere.

A stern-looking woman, first with a look of surprise and disgust, now clutched at her chest, looking down at the streets below. For someone to stir such emotions within her was unprecedented. The singe marks and puddles of water dotting the surrounding rooftops - once a reminder of her battle not long ago, - now lay aside, forgotten.

Somewhere, upon the skeletal makings of a new building, the sweet scent of sake soared along with the warm wind, warming the cheeks of another who gazed wistfully at the star of Hokuto, attempting to picture in her head the kind of person who could stir such feelings deep within her.

Within the confines of the MBI citadel, a child wept silently into her pillow, trying to cope with the torrential storm of emotion broiling within her this night.

A young maiden's gaze swept the city sky-line, pining for whatever had stirred up the flames within her. The creak of leather from her red gloves filled her ears as she tightened her fists, holding them at her sides while her gaze swept the city one last time this night.

* * *

Under the light of the moon, and under the watchful gaze of the North Star, a man lay naked in an old abandoned warehouse, the roof having collapsed under the impact of his fall. Though he is unconscious, Kenshiro's calm breathing betrays his sleep only the good spirits who watch over him, even now. His brothers Raoh and Toki, his friends of Nanto, his beloved Yuria as well.  
"...Yu..ria..."

* * *

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter - I'm afraid as to whether or not it was too long, but I had this idea as to where I wanted the chapter to finish. I will continue to write as much as I possibly can, so please rate, give me reviews, any criticism would be welcomed.


	2. Chapter 2 Blue Eyes

I would like to thank you for the support you've given me on this endeavour. From encouragement to critique, I've taken it all into consideration. I hope you will continue reading.

I neither own Hokuto no Ken nor do I own Sekirei, as they belong to their respective owners.

Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 2 - Blue Eyes

* * *

The light of a new dawn crept up over the horizon, making the clouds in the sky blush with color. Everything from the buildings to the concrete roads were bathed in a dulcet glow. The morning air held a crisp coolness from the previous night, the day's heat having left the ground for greener pastures.  
Within the musty shade of an old warehouse, Kenshiro stirred from his deep slumber. His mind awoke into darkness. Experience had taught him to refrain from giving away his position in an unknown environment, no matter the circumstances. Reaching out with his aura, Kenshiro could sense someone just outside of the warehouse walls. There didn't appear to be anyone else with them. Unbeknownst to him, this individual had been keeping an eye on him for the better part of the night once he had arrived.

Puddles of sunlight obscured his vision when he finally opened his eyes. The light came down at an angle from the massive hole in the roof. His muscles groaned in protest when he got to his feet, the awkward position that his body was in having cut off circulation in certain areas. He would need to move around for a bit before he could feel limber again.

After his first step, Kenshiro realized something very amiss; he appeared to be without any article of clothing. The man of Hokuto's brow furrowed in confusion. A memory from the day before came back to him; only his body would be able to be brought over, clothes were not a part of him and therefore would not be capable of transportation by the God-King's power.  
His eyes were finally adjusted to the morning light. The building was a wreck; his arrival couldn't have done this much damage, could it?  
Walking out in the open with nothing to shield him from the elements would be fool-hardy, he would need to search this place for cloth of some sort, or even discarded clothing. A careful appraisal of his immediate vicinity led him to discover a tattered piece of tarp that must have once been used to cover boxes or materials. It would have to do for now; his appearance did not matter to him.

Kenshiro whipped the tarp around himself, simulating the tell-tale sandy cloak that would often grant him private solace during his journeys through the desolate wastelands which were once his home. The tarp slid off of his head and rested upon his broad shoulders. As far as he could tell, his face would not give away his presence to any bandits; there shouldn't be anyone here who could know who or what he is.

The dull patter of his bare feet upon the concrete flooring echoed around him as he made his way outside. The surroundings that greeted him widened his eyes; it was as though he had gone back in time.  
The sky was a beautiful blue, everything looked clean and pristine. What greenery he could see around him wasn't struggling to bring life into the world. Kenshiro closed his eyes for a few seconds, afraid that he was simply imagining things. When he re-opened them, he was still here.  
"Lynn, Bart... if you could see this... just once." His voice was a hoarse whisper, even his soft tone carried the harshness of his experiences.

With one last look at the place that he had come from, the cold concrete womb of a new world, Kenshiro began to make his way out of the deserted street.

* * *

After walking for some time, Kenshiro realized that the area he had been brought into must be some sort of slum or lower class living sector; from a quick glance at the main street that he was walking along, he could spot many brigands and thieves. It did not matter whether or not they were well-dressed; their eyes told him everything he needed about them. Sometimes, that's enough.

It took a moment before Kenshiro noticed the people milling about in their daily lives. Many were civilians taking care of daily chores outside, or going to and from stores. Some appeared to be students of some sort, most likely heading towards their respective schools.  
His ears caught soft gasps here and there, as well as surprised faces or flushed cheeks. It was a bit of a strange occurrence for him, to say the least.  
'What could be making them act in such a manner?' he asked himself in thought, looking down at himself. He was still fairly wrapped in the tarp, though his scarred chest showed a little more. Perhaps it was that he was covered in a strange material? Or perhaps his scars?

Kenshiro finally noticed when he walked past a gaggle of school girls who had stopped to look at clothing in a window. When he stopped before them so that they could let him past, the girls collectively gasped. He could only look at them with quiet confusion.  
The tallest girl, possibly 5'8", did not even stand up to his lower chest. The awkward silence was not bothering him, but the impediment to his path was.

"What is wrong?" he asked, looking down at them with an expectant look. The sound of his voice made them collectively jump, as though someone had dropped a book in front of a sleeping student.  
"N-nothing sir! I was just day-dreaming... hehe." The girl who had spoken, the tallest one, gave a slight bow before moving her friends aside so that he could pass.  
With a slight bow in return, Kenshiro kept moving, the sound of his bare feet on the concrete lost in the noise of the city. He did catch a whisper from one of the girls as he passed them.  
"Those blue eyes..."

* * *

She had been looking at him for a few hours that night, gazing at his form sleeping in a pile of rocks and glass. Ever since she had seen the light come down into this area - so close to where she had stopped for a rest, - Toyotama, Sekirei number sixteen, could not curb her curiosity any longer.  
Although she was expecting some sort of satellite or some anti-MBI aircraft that had been shot down by one of their satellites or the like, she most definitely was not expecting a completely nude man to have fallen from the sky. He must be quite durable to have survived a fall like that.  
'He's definitely not a Sekirei, I know that for a fact.'

She had watched him for the entirety of the night that she had found him. She couldn't explain it, but there was a warmth within her after she had discovered him. It wasn't like the heat within her heart when a Sekirei finds her Ashikabi; it was more profound. Pure.  
Somehow, whatever feeling that hadn't been there was returned. Had she not been given this warm feeling, Toyotama would've never realized she had been missing something in the first place.

Staff at her side, poised upon a nearby roof top, Toyotama looked on as the man finally awoke. Now a different kind of heat came to her face. It wasn't often she would get the chance to see such a specimen in the buff like this.  
She looked at him curiously as he wrapped himself in an old cargo tarp. His footsteps were the only thing she could hear over her heart beats in this empty area.  
'It couldn't hurt to keep an eye on him for now, would it?' The thought brought a small smile to her lips.

Although he did not seem to know where his destination lay, and despite the fact that he had no shoes, this man was making steady progress through the streets. His long legs were most likely the cause of that, and by the size of his frame and muscles, stamina most likely was not a factor.  
Toyotama let a small smile of interest touch her lips when she realized that he was oblivious to all the stares he was receiving. Passing through a crowd, he was nearly a head and chest higher than most of the people on that street. It made him look like a giant.

She had to move onto the fire escape of a nearby building in order to get a better look at him when he moved beside the adjacent building across the street. A group of teenagers were inadvertently blocking his path. She was just barely able to hear them when she moved close from her position.  
The sound of his voice gave her pause for but a moment. There was a depth to that voice that she could not understand. Toyotama was glad that she could now place a voice to the body; the deep voice most definitely matched his completely relaxed demeanor.  
The Staff Sekirei blinked for a moment; she had been lost in thought, and now had lost her prey. Quickly glancing around in case she had simply misplaced his position, she took to the roof tops in order to relocate him. He wasn't walking quickly, and did not have shoes on; it ought to be fairly easy for her to find him again.

When Toyotama had finally caught up to him, she found him in a bit of a predicament.  
He was in a side alley, surrounded by a dozen men. Yakuza, or some such organization from this area. She couldn't hear what they were saying from her distance, but she felt the need to intervene; human or not, this was a perfect excuse for her to flex her muscles for once.

* * *

He found himself in a bit of a predicament.  
Awake for nary an hour, and trouble has already presented itself to him. Although, perhaps they merely pass through this part of the city in the hopes of catching a would-be victim unawares. It would do them no amount of good to accost him, seeing as he has nothing to his name.  
Kenshiro flexed his fingers from under his cloak. The chances of him walking away without a confrontation were infinitesimal; men like these weren't known for their leniency, whether you were poor or not.  
A second glance at them helped him notice that one of the men was roughly of his stature. Good, maybe this chance meeting could be turned to his favor after all.

One of the men, shorter than the rest and with his black dress coat draped over his shoulders, put his right foot atop an old milk crate, leaning forward with his elbow on his knee. A sneer slithered on his face. If ever there was a man who resembled a snake, this one could definitely contend for first place.  
"Well well..." jeered the gangster, looking up at Kenshiro with his conniving stare, "looks like we've found our little vandal, am I right brothers?" The other men chuckled and grinned, some cracking their knuckles, other fingering their weapons; chains, knives, baseball bats, the sort of thing these thugs normally carried with them. The smaller man waited for his comrades to quiet down before continuing.  
"Some of my sources found you leaving the scene of a vandalized warehouse." He pulled out a cigarette, holding it to the side without taking his eyes off of the man before him. On cue, one of the men behind him quickly knelt to the side and lit his smoke.  
"Now, I'm not sure if you knew this," he took a drag of his cigarette, "but that warehouse you came from, that's property of the Kuroryu family." The man tapped the end of his cigarette on the toe of his shoe. "I'm afraid that we'll have to ask you to pay us for the damages you've caused to our property," he said with that tell-tale sneer of his, "or things will get... complicated for you."

Kenshiro hadn't taken his eyes off of him for a moment, but tracked every little twitch, every shuffle of feet, every tensing of their muscles.  
"Why would a group of bandits want with an old, abandoned warehouse?" The man of Hokuto's gaze was penetrating, the heat of his quiet glare making the small man feel even smaller, if that was at all possible.  
"That's not really your-" The man began to say.  
"I'm giving you this one chance to walk away," Kenshiro commanded, pulling his muscular arms out of his tattered cloak and cracking his knuckles, "if you don't get out of my way, I will make sure that none of you leave this street alive."

The tone of finality in his voice when he proclaimed his intentions made the men behind the Yakuza lieutenant take a collective step back, their faces ashen. Kenshiro's eyes showed a quality that most would only ever find in a deadly predator. Who is to say that there isn't one before them now?  
The lieutenant threw his cigarette to the ground in anger, pulling out a knife. His face was screwed up in a look of rage and indignation.  
"What did you just say to me? Huh?!" He tilted his head to the side, in that recognizable way that Yakuza and their ilk would do in order to intimidate their victims. How they honestly believed such a strange posture could possibly be perceived as threatening was beyond him.  
"C'mon men, let's teach him not to mess with the Kuroryu!"

Normally at this point, Kenshiro would have taken his natural stance for dealing with riff-raff such as this, but he knew he did not have to. Even as they began to surround him, the man of Hokuto knew that he was safe from well-dressed bandits such as these.  
He had known that she was following him since the moment he had taken his first steps outside. He had slowed his pace in order for her to find him again when she had moved in the wrong direction after his run in with the school girls. And now he would force her hand.  
Kenshiro would know within the next few moments whether the person following him was a potential ally or merely a pawn of another fool wanting his head.

* * *

'Why isn't he defending himself?'  
This thought immediately came to Toyotama's mind when she saw the Yakuza surround him. He hadn't moved after having threatened them. What was he waiting for? If nothing was going to get done, he was going to get killed.  
The man had no weapons with which to defend himself against theirs. Time felt as though it was going by too fast, she would have to act.  
"Damn it."

The Staff Sekirei launched herself off of the building, soaring through the air and landing silently behind three of the men who were still standing behind their lieutenant. Her staff leveled horizontally before her, Toyotama pivoted on her right foot while crouched, sending the tip of her staff crashing into the knees of the first man on the right, forcing him to crash on his side into the concrete. Twirling her weapon in her hands, she swung it in an arc aimed at the second assailant's head, the tip of the staff whistling in the air as it collided with the man's temple, rendering him into nothing more than a puppet with its strings cut.

Both the third man as well as the lieutenant spun around when two of their brothers crashed to the ground. They turned to meet face to face with a voluptuous looking woman wielding a staff, her long green hair coming down over her shoulder after having taking out two of their men. Her outfit was a little provocative; a very tight blue and white top that revealed her ample chest, as well as black gloves and black stockings. All of those were minor details that registered in the backs of their minds when the main factor of her unnatural strength came into question. That they now had to deal with two people was one thing, but for two of their men to already be incapacitated was quite another.

The remaining lackey raised his baseball bat to take a swing at the woman, only to have the wind knocked out of him when she slipped past him, running the side of her weapon hard into his gut. Without pausing, Toyotama quickly spun counter-clockwise, twirling her staff above her head before sending it down in a wide arc, crashing into the lieutenant's hand. With a yelp of pain, he released his grip on his knife, the blade clattering on the concrete before getting kicked away somewhere during the scuffle.

Quickly readying herself in a defensive crouch, Toyotama launched herself forward, thrusting her staff low. The tip of the weapon smashed into a knee, sending one man flying into the assailant next to him, the duo sprawled onto the floor in a matter of seconds. Two other men lunged at her, catching only air when she jumped over their heads. They soon kissed the ground rather unceremoniously.  
The man she had come to protect was moving out of his opponents' reach, taking measured steps back as they swung their chains and knives awkwardly, always catching air.  
Toyotama's staff flew into their midst, catching one of them square in the jaw as he made for a lunging attack. Before the weapon had time to touch the ground, Kenshiro had already kicked it back in the direction of its owner. The sound of whirling metal filled their ears the more ground she gained on them, the staff ends battering the remaining three until their were beaten and broken in a heap on the ground.

Neither Kenshiro nor Toyotama were breathing heavily after the ordeal. The Sekirei turned to speak to the man she had been following, but took a step back when she saw him close the distance between them almost instantly.  
The crunch of gravel brought her attention to someone behind her; the short lieutenant. He was holding a second knife in his left hand, poised in mid throw. She had her back turned, and wasn't sure if she could get completely out of the way in time.

Time stood still as Toyotama watched the man loose the knife, sending it shooting towards her. The heavy weight in her stomach lessened when a shape moved before her. The man was standing between her and the blade, ready to take the knife for her.  
His hand reached up casually at the exact moment when the blade passed between his fingers, its momentum completely stopped in its tracks when he closed his middle and third finger onto the blade.  
"Ahh-" was the only sound that the Yakuza made, before Kenshiro - with a back-handed flick of his wrist, - sent the blade flying straight towards him, pegging him square in the eye.  
The lieutenants broken scream was warranted, considering the amount of pain he was in. His hands scratched at the blade embedded into his eye, all the way to the hilt. Such was the amount of strength put into the return.  
The cloaked man stared at the man scrambling to extricate the blade from his face with quiet indifference, before muttering the words "Hokuto Nishi Shinku Ha."

Toyotama could only stare at the man incredulously. How did he so easily catch the blade, let alone throw it back with such accuracy and in such a short amount of time? Her memory of all the Sekirei she could remember was flying through her mind during that moment, attempting to bring up any moment where a Sekirei showed a similar amount of reaction time as well as hand-eye coordination. She couldn't think of any.  
'I'm positive he isn't a Sekirei, so what is he?'

* * *

What few men who managed to regain consciousness staggered to their feet, fleeing the alley with their wounded leader over their shoulders. Those who remained would not likely wake for another hour. Luckily, the girl had struck the tall one in the temple, immobilizing him.  
Without pause to confront the woman before him, Kenshiro crouched beside the unconscious thug, loosening his pants and shoes. After a bit of work, he had pants, socks and shoes. It would have to do for now.

Toyotama watched him closely as he went about his business. Her face did not betray her thoughts, nor did she show much emotion unless she wanted someone to see them. Her memory of the knife flying back into the man's face made her smirk slightly, a small smile that would otherwise go unnoticed.  
'I like this man.' Her eyes took him all in, now that he had removed the tarp cloak from his now-decent figure. He was taller than she was, quite muscular, but with no trace of fat on his body from what she could discern. His legs were lean, and his muscle pattern was almost chiseled. Staring at him for so long heated her chest.  
Sudden realization crept into her mind.

She started to walk towards Kenshiro, her pace steady, but faltered a bit when he turned to face her. Seven cruel scars marred his chest, where large holes were pierced into his flesh. The sight of them surprised her; there was most definitely more to this man than she had at first thought.  
Her gaze went up to look at his face. It was a grim face to be certain, but with a hint of interest; most likely due to her sudden appearance. It was his blue eyes that had arrested her.  
Those blue eyes. They appeared to her as though they glowed, even though he had his back to the morning sun. There was something behind them that tugged at her heart, but for the life of her she could not put her finger on it.  
Giving herself a mental shake, Toyotama walked up to Kenshiro, staring up at his face with her cold eyes. The only thing that betrayed what her eyes showed was the small smile that had crept onto her face. Her tongue darted out, wetting her lips.

Without another moment to spare, Toyotama put her arms around his neck and pulled herself up so that she could press her lips upon his. She looked genuinely surprised when her lips had touched the rough skin of his hand.  
Letting her hands slip from his neck to rest on his chest, she appeared perplexed. Her surprise melted into humor, a wry smile growing on her face.  
"What's wrong? Never had a beautiful woman try to kiss you before?" She hoped to get a rise out of him, a fluster. Something. He kept looking at her with those sad eyes for a few seconds longer, before turning towards the end of the street. Toyotama frowned. 'This one is strange, I'll give him that.'

Her hand gently touched his forearm, pulling him to a stop. She moved to the side so that she could get a good look at him.  
"We're linked, you and I." Her voice had a serious tone to it. "You shouldn't stop a Sekirei from choosing her Ashikabi." His eyes widened when she mentioned the word 'Sekirei'. He turned fully towards her, looking at her more closely.  
"Are you truly one of the Sekirei?" He seemed almost incredulous, as though he believed she was some sort of mythical creature. Toyotama chuckled.  
"I am, else I wouldn't have been able to all that." Her hand flicked towards the unconscious bodies as though they were a mere after-thought. She licked her lips once more, moving close enough so that she could press herself against him.  
"Now are you going stop me again? Or will I have to pin you down and take you myself?"  
"If it will help me protect you, then I have no other choice." His voice was grit and manliness, what you'd expect someone like him to sound like in a movie. She gave him a seductive smile before pulling herself back up to his face, lips pressing against hers. Her wings ignited from her back, a bright aquamarine glow emitting from them before fading away.  
She held on for a while longer, gently prodding at his lips with her tongue before slipping back down onto her feet.  
"Sekirei number sixteen, Toyotama is yours now and forever, Ashikabi-sama." Flush from being winged, Toyotama gave him a mocking look.

"Was it your first time kissing a girl? Can't say I was very impressed." She whispered in jest. The look in his eyes gave her an absolute chill down her spine.  
"Sorry. That was-" She began to say. His hand gently touched her lips to quiet her. The man shook his head, removing his hand from her lips.  
"Love is something I was forced to forsake a long time ago. I have made peace with that fact."  
The grave tone with which he answered her made her heart sink. 'Why would he say something like that?' A flash of genuine worry crossed her face, but she set it aside.  
"Things are different now, my Ashikabi." She gave him a somewhat seductive smile as her arm snaked around his. She could lose herself in those blue eyes of his.  
Blue eyes.  
They reminded her of the Big Dipper.


	3. Chapter 3 The Man Of Hokuto

Good day to you all, and welcome to the author's note. I would have to say that I was relieved when the second chapter received much praise; I was worried that I had not done as well with it as I had hoped. There was much emotion and spirit put into the first chapter, but I am glad that it didn't take away from the rest of the story.

I do not own Hokuto no Ken nor do I own Sekirei.

Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 3 - The Man of Hokuto

Within a dark room, dimly lit by a series of monitors, Sahashi Takami sat at her desk. Her gaze was transfixed on a specific set of monitors being fed footage via satellite, and had been doing so for quite some time. Rather than return home for some much needed rest, the scientist resorted to napping on her office couch so that she could return to work with the least amount of delay possible.  
She had to rub away the dryness in her eyes from not blinking. She had difficulty believing what she had seen.  
"The object that fell from the sky... is a man?"  
Groaning in frustration, raking her fingers through her hair, Takami leaned back into her chair, a sensation of light-headedness beginning to overtake her senses.

She was hoping that this event wouldn't interfere with any of MBI's operations, but seeing as a Sekirei almost immediately sought him out, there wouldn't be much choice but to look into the matter. If her suspicions were even remotely correct...  
A shudder ran up her spine at the thought. "God I hope not. We're dead meat if it is." Takami's head hit the desk with a dull thump. "Someone wake me when this all blows over."

Oddly enough, in a different area north of the city, someone else was looking at Shin-Tokyo's new arrival via satellite. A young woman with glasses stared intently at the man surrounded by defeated gangsters.  
"Interesting..." The woman adjusted her glasses and looked closer at the screen. "Who are you exactly, Sky Ashikabi-kun?"

* * *

Once she had retrieved her weapon, Toyotama made her way back to her Ashikabi, who was waiting near the entrance of the alley.  
"I've told you my name, it's only fair that I know what my Ashikabi's name is as well." She seemed to enjoy teasing her new Ashikabi, though he did not appear to have much of a sense of humor. He stopped walking for a moment to look at her.  
"Kenshiro."  
"Kenshiro, hmm?" Toyotama made a show of looking him up and down as she made her way towards him. "The name 'Son Of The Fist' suits you quite well."

Together, they begin making their way through the streets, Toyotama arm-in-arm with her new Ashikabi. Kenshiro's upper body was unfortunately still bare. The shirts were not very elastic and easily tore at the shoulders; he would need to obtain a decent change of clothing soon.  
It was now mid-morning. Students were at their respective schools, people were at their work places, mothers and such were already looking for ingredients to prepare tonight's dinner.  
They had been walking for a little over an hour now, and her Ashikabi hadn't spoken a word to her. The silence was beginning to grate on her nerves.  
"Ashikabi-sama," Toyotama began.  
"Kenshiro."  
The Sekirei blinked. "What?"  
"You asked me for my name, you should use it." Her Ashikabi didn't turn to look at her as he spoke. Toyotama brushed a lock of hair from her face.  
"Of course, Kenshiro," She cleared her throat. "I was just curious as to where you are from." He was quiet for a time. The silence felt a little awkward.  
"You would not believe me were I to tell you." Kenshiro took in a deep breath, "When the time is right, I shall explain why I am here."  
"Alright." Toyotama's gaze passed over Kenshiro's chest. "And those? I didn't think someone could survive with wounds like that." Her Ashikabi did not answer, his eyes bearing a sort of thousand-yard stare. Seeing that look in his eyes, Toyotama regretted bringing it up. Looking to change the mood, she attempted to think of something else.  
"What was it that you did to the Yakuza, that trick with the knife?" Toyotama's eyes peered around them as she spoke, as though expecting them to leap out of some bushes.  
Kenshiro lifted his other hand before him, cracking his fingers and flicking his wrist in a twisting fashion.  
"Nishi Shinku Ha. It is a defensive technique utilized for intercepting and neutralizing projectiles such as arrows, needles," his head turned to look at her, "and knives."  
"And it's a killing technique?" Toyotama asked.  
"No." Kenshiro's eyes moved back to something beyond what was before him. "The Two Finger Air Snatch is a defensive technique primarily used for protection. Its secondary use is to maim the attacker who utilized the ranged weapon in the first place. Though it is defensive, it will often result in death, regardless."  
The way he spoke of fighting and killing someone so matter-of-factually made the skin on the back of her neck crawl, but excited her all the same.

Although she enjoyed being close to her Ashikabi, the rumbling in her stomach told her that she needed to have breakfast, or at least lunch.  
"Would you mind if we went to get something to eat? I'm famished." Kenshiro acquiesced to her hunger, letting her lead him to a quiet restaurant on a street that was less frequented than the one they were previously on.  
The sight of a shirtless man taller than anyone in the restaurant turned many heads. Whispers rose a little throughout the tables as they moved to a booth. "A cosplayer?" "Maybe he's a body-builder." "Look at those scars, are those real?"  
Toyotama smiled inwardly at the amount of attention her Ashikabi inadvertently garnered.

Having ordered enough food for four people, Toyotama turned to her Ashikabi.  
"What would you like, Kenshiro-sama?" She was smart enough to have kept an eye on her MBI card; some Sekirei have been known to carelessly lose it, and have life outside of the MBI building be that more difficult for them.  
"Water." Toyotama looked at him for a moment.  
"Water? That's all?" Her Ashikabi nodded solemnly. "Ashikabi- ah, sorry." She smiled apologetically. "Kenshiro-sama, you don't have to restrain yourself when you're with me." She gave him a more sultry smile. "About anything."  
If her veiled invitation was registered by her Ashikabi, it didn't show on his face. He blinked for a moment, as confused a look as she imagined he could muster, and picked some very rudimentary foods from the menu.

Kenshiro was mildly surprised at how much his new companion could eat. He had barely eaten half of his food before she had cleaned her plate. Letting out a satisfied sigh, Toyotama leaned back in her chair, only to see Kenshiro's plate being pushed towards her.  
"You're not hungry, Kenshiro-sama?" She couldn't fathom someone only eating so little and feeling full. Her Ashikabi gave her a reassuring smile - albeit a small one.  
"Where I am from, having an apple was considered a banquet. I am fine."  
Toyotama felt a little guilty eating so much in front of him, knowing that. However, she wouldn't let the food her Ashikabi offered her go to waste.

They both sat there for a moment after she had finished eating, Kenshiro gazing outside and she gazing at him.  
"What can you tell me about Sekirei?" The question came so suddenly that Toyotama could only stare blankly for a few seconds before coming back to her senses.  
"Well," she began, "we are part of the Sekirei Plan, where we seek out our Ashikabi in order to begin the first stage. We battle along-side our Ashikabi so that we can find true happiness with them." Kenshiro looked as though he was mulling the information over in his mind.  
"Why do you need to find an Ashikabi?"  
"Our Ashikabi are required in order for us to unlock our full power." Toyotama placed a hand on her heart. "By transferring our DNA through mucus membranes - through a kiss for example, we are bound to our Ashikabi. It allows us to access our Norito." Her face took on a bit of a hard look.  
"Not all of us have had a choice in finding our Ashikabi." She looked away from Kenshiro after saying so. The two of them were quiet for a time. When Kenshiro spoke, his voice sounded harsh and cracked.  
"They are forced to be with one whom they do not love. To be slaves to that person's whim." His muscles tensed, like those of a mighty beast about to tear into its prey. The sight forced Toyotama to hold her breath. She regretted telling him the last part, but he had wanted to know.  
"We should look around for a place to stay; an old abandoned warehouse isn't exactly suitable." Toyotama slid out of the booth and stretched, waiting for her Ashikabi to follow suit. After paying the bill, Toyotama and her stoic Ashikabi were on their way.

The duo were headed towards the central section of the city, mainly parks and lower-income housing. For the most part they were quiet. It took a second or two for Toyotama to notice that Kenshiro had stopped walking.  
"What's wrong?" His grim face was disconcerting. It made her think of what a wolf would look like if it was listening for another predator, or prey. She looked out at the direction that her Ashikabi was staring.  
"Can you see something?" She strained to notice anything out of the ordinary, but couldn't pick anything out of the myriad of civilians wandering around the park entrance and streets. When she looked back to her Ashikabi, he was nowhere to be found.  
"Kenshiro..."

* * *

Somewhere in the expansive park, on a lone bench, sat a young woman. Sitting with her knees up against her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs, she gazed out at nothing. A strange symbol was emblazoned upon her forehead. Although she appeared to be wearing next to nothing save for a shortened grey kimono, a bloodied lab-coat covered her shoulders.  
A car pulled up not far from her. A young boy stepped out of the vehicle, along with a few Sekirei. He must be a powerful Ashikabi to have so many.  
The boy was standing before her. He had an arrogant grin on his face. Something inside her told her to leave, but it didn't matter. She was useless. Broken.  
"It's dangerous for a young woman like you to be out here at this time of night." She didn't respond. The boy merely grinned wider. "You could come with me. I'll give you a good home, if you promise to serve me well." Something about the way he said it felt as though she was being spoken to as a pet. What did it matter? No one else would want her.

She looked up to see that Mutsu, the male Sekirei who had accompanied the Ashikabi, had moved in front of him, shielding him with one arm. His eyes were fixed upon something behind her.  
"What is it Mutsu? Another Sekirei?" The boy sounded eager, as though he was salivating at the thought of increasing his collection.  
"Quiet, Hayato." The other Sekirei moved up to defend their Ashikabi, but from the look in their eyes she could tell they were nervous; anything that made Mutsu wary was cause enough for others to be as well.  
The area surrounding them was eerily quiet, similar to how animals will flee an area when a predator comes near. It wasn't long before she could hear it. Foot steps.  
Step. Step. Step.  
They were calm and steady. Their footfalls echoed around them. They were near.  
Step. Step. Step.  
Mutsu's knuckles were white from gripping the hilt of his sword firmly. Hayato - as he was called apparently, - no longer had a grin on his face; he knew that if his Sekirei were nervous, then this was no easy matter. Curious, she turned to see who was approaching them.

The first thing that caught her attention was that familiar feeling in her heart, that feeling she thought was impossible for her to have given what she was. The warm glow within her, scarred with sadness. That warmth was steadily being engulfed in fiery rage, tempered with an iron will. It frothed and flamed until it quieted to a deadly white hot core.  
When her vision adjusted to the darkness, she could make out the eyes. Beautiful, blue eyes. They held the same sadness she felt weighing within her heart, but his burned with the fiery glow of rage.  
The light from the car's headlights eventually reached far enough for it to reveal the person.  
They were tall, with a body toned to that uncharacteristic of most men. Terrible scars adorned his chest - shaped like the big dipper. Her eyes widened.  
"Ashikabi..." was the only word she could whisper at the sudden recognition.

The man walked with a deadly grace. He put one fist in his other hand, cracking the knuckles, and did the same to the other hand.  
"Leave her alone." His words rang in the silence, the deep, commanding voice still thrumming in their chests. One of the Sekirei, dressed in black and white and holding a scythe, nearly buckled her knees. Another Sekirei, wearing a yellow and black track-suit and holding a red whip, moved to help her up.  
"Yomi, get yourself together!"

"For your sake, I think you should leave." The young Ashikabi felt confident because of all the Sekirei surrounding him. The scarred man did not listen.  
"This is your last warning, or you'll be in some pretty deep trouble. There's a limit to how generous I can be."

The man moved past the bench, stopping directly in front of it, shielding the broken Sekirei. He looked at them all, his gaze settling on the boy.  
"Why?"  
Hayato blinked for a moment. "Why what?"  
"Why do you force them into slavery? Why do you force them to forsake love for your selfish ambitions?" His voice was a mixture of anger and sadness. From where she was sitting, she could see some of the Sekirei turn their faces away, unable to look into his eyes. Almost as if... they were ashamed.  
Hayato gave a derisive snort.  
"What are you talking about? They're just play-things; it's all about the Sekirei game. Who can get the most and win." The man's hands clenched tightly, the muscles of his arms growing slightly in girth.  
"Enslaving peoples' hearts, taking away their lives and their right to love. You treat these people as though they were tools for you to do with as you please." Although she could not see them, she could feel the heat from his glare. "I will destroy you, and scatter your broken remains to the four winds."

Mutsu, his hand straining from gripping his sword so tightly, took a step forward. Before he could even begin to draw the weapon, the man was instantly upon him, the palm of his right hand slamming Mutsu's sword back into its sheath, keeping the weapon firmly in place. With a flash of movement, his middle and index fingers penetrated Mutsu's neck.  
"Ahh-" was all that Mutsu could muster before he fell to the ground in a heap. His sword was still in the man's hand. Holding it up so that the Ashikabi and his remaining Sekirei could see, the man with seven scars put his thumb onto the flat of the blade and pushed. The sword snapped in two, the blade clattering harmlessly to the ground. Their eyes grew wide.  
The man tossed the broken handle to the side. The remaining Sekirei readied their weapons.  
"Hayato-sama, we should go. It's not safe." The one named Yomi spoke, eyeing the man nervously.  
"No." It was the man who spoke. "You," his finger pointing directly at Hayato, "are not leaving this place alive."

The statement made them all shift a step back, one of the girls pulling Hayato behind her.  
"Quick, get him in the car!" She yelled, pushing him back further. Everything afterwards was a blur.  
The man moved with monstrous speed, striking the whip Sekirei twice in the throat and immobilizing her. Yomi, the girl with the scythe, charged forward. Her weapon caught only air. The man had shifted immediately to Yomi's blind spot behind her swinging arm, his hand quickly slicing a zigzag motion through her scythe. Nary a split-second afterwards, it fell to pieces.  
"Why do you defend him?" Yomi looked surprised at the question moreso than the fact that she was only holding a two foot long piece of metal in her hands.  
"He... he's our Ashikabi. We must-" her voice was cut off when a nervous yell from the car forced her to come back to her senses.

Before he could give chase, a hand touched his forearm, holding him back gently. He turned to see that the girl who was almost abducted now standing before him. Her eyes had an empty quality to them. Her hair was a pale auburn, her skin almost porcelain in color. Although she wore a lab coat over her normal clothes, it did nothing to mask her figure. An ample chest pressed onto his own as she moved closer, intently gazing into his eyes.  
"Are you truly... my Ashikabi?" Her voice was tentative. He took her hand off of his arm, leaving it in his upturned hand.  
"I do not deserve to be anyone's Ashikabi. I only wished for you to be safe from those like him, so that you could be free to love on your own terms." She stood transfixed, her eyes locked onto his own. After a moment, she put her other hand under his, holding his larger hand tightly and placing it over her heart.  
"My heart tells me, you could be none other than my Ashikabi."

Her breathing became slightly labored, her thinking erratic. Her chest felt as though it was on fire, her legs weak. Was this how other Sekirei felt when they were about to be winged by their Ashikabi? But he made no movement toward her.  
Pushing herself against him, the broken Sekirei moved to kiss him, to feel the warmth of his lips upon hers. He was so amazingly warm, she couldn't feel her own cold any longer.  
To her surprise, she couldn't move her face any closer to his. It took a moment for her to realize that his hands were at the sides of her face. The tips of his middle and index fingers gently probed behind and below her ears. A chill ran up her spine, her legs weakening for a moment. Something on her forehead tingled. So did something in between her shoulder blades.  
Looking up at the man, sudden realization washed over her. He gave her a small smile.  
"You are free to love who you choose. Let it be your heart and not the hearts of others that dictate your life from now on." Through some kind of technique or magic, he had coaxed her Sekirei symbol to readjust itself. She no longer had any link to her first Ashikabi, and could be winged again.

Instinctively, she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, burying her face into his chest. He stood there awkwardly for a moment before, with a gentle sigh of defeat, put his arms around her.  
"Why do you wish for me to become your Ashikabi so badly?" His voice carried a distinct sound of confusion. She looked up at him from their embrace, with a face that told him simply, 'what is, is'.  
Seeing that she would not choose no for any sort of answer, Kenshiro leaned towards her slightly, as one would when in the process of bowing. Taking the opportunity, the Sekirei quickly slid her arms up to around his neck, pulling herself up for a kiss. Wings of light burst from her back, pale and frigid, but pure and beautiful. Releasing from their embrace, face flushed with more color than he had seen of her yet, the Sekirei gave him a flushed look.  
"Sekirei 07, Akitsu, is yours; now and forever."

* * *

Toyotama scanned her immediate area again before moving further into the park. She had underestimated her Ashikabi, a mistake she would not soon forget. It had only been a few minutes, but that didn't stop her from worrying.  
Why should she worry? He wasn't useless by any stretch of the imagination. She hadn't seen the full extent of what he could do, but what could he do against Sekirei? They aren't the same as humans on many levels.

The sound of her name behind her as she landed from atop a lamp post startled her out of her thoughts. Turning quickly, staff at the ready, Toyotama's muscles relaxed at the sight of her Ashikabi. A woman stood behind him, her hand on his back.  
"So that's where you ran off to." Toyotama gave Kenshiro a knowing smile. "You didn't have to go off to wing another Sekirei without me; I don't mind sharing." Kenshiro didn't reply, such comments didn't appear to register.  
"I confronted one of the Ashikabi you mentioned." Toyotama raised an eyebrow.  
"An Ashikabi? Were they trying to wing this one?" He only nodded.  
"Hayato Mikogami."  
Toyotama made a knowing grunt in her throat. "He's a spoiled brat who sees Sekirei as the next new thing he just has to get." Her expression became expectant. "Did you kill him?"  
The pale Sekirei stepped forward, moving to Kenshiro's side.  
"I stopped him before he could do anything." She gave a bow. "My apologies."

Toyotama blinked a few times, looking at her and then at Kenshiro. Other than obvious physical appearances, her face was almost the same emotionless slate that her Ashikabi often wore. Before she could ask another question, the pale Sekirei interrupted her.  
"He handled No. #05 as though he was a child."  
This brought a look of shock on the Staff Sekirei's face. Fighting a group of thugs was one thing, but to easily defeat a single number was unheard of. As far as she knew, there was no possible way for a human to match a Sekirei in combat.  
"How..." Toyotama took a moment to compose herself. "How did you manage to defeat him? The single numbered Sekirei are among the strongest of all of us."  
Kenshiro, with a grim expression, spoke with finality. "Hokuto Shinken is invincible."

* * *

It was late. They were beginning to tire. Though the day was beginning to wear on them, the two Sekirei hid their exhaustion from their Ashikabi; if a human could continue walking without showing any signs of being tired, the least they could do is keep up.  
Toyotama held back a little and to Kenshiro's left, looking for any potential hotels or apartments for rent. There did not seem to be any; moving week had ended and most students will have snatched up any and all rooms or board that they could have gotten.  
Akitsu stood closer to her Ashikabi, her hand resting on the back of his arm. Her eyes were staring forward but did not appear to be looking at anything in particular. Where they would possibly be headed did not matter as much as where she was now.

"Kenshiro-sama, will we be consumating tonight?"  
The question almost made Toyotama trip over her own foot. Whether Kenshiro was ruffled in any way by Akitsu's comment wasn't shown to either of them. He did, after a few seconds, turn to her. A slightly puzzled look adorned his face.  
Toyotama quickly moved to Kenshiro's other arm, winding her free arm around it and pressing her chest against him.  
"You'll have to wait in line," she gave a warning look, then melted into a smile. "I haven't had my turn yet."  
Akitsu nodded. "Then I shall wait until you've had your turn." Most men would have melted or made a fuss over such comments. They would need to increase their efforts.

Both girls jolted to a halt when their Ashikabi suddenly stopped walking. His gaze had locked onto something within a tea-house they had almost passed by.  
An elderly woman, quite possibly in her sixties or seventies, was carefully and lovingly polishing an old statue of some god or other mythical being. An old man was reading a news paper behind the short counter, occasionally sipping at his cup of hot tea brought to him by the woman. After cleaning up the statue, she fussed with his tea for a moment before looking towards the door.  
"Ah," the old woman said, a nurturing grin spreading upon her wrinkled face creased with years of smiles and laughter. "we have guests, Oji-chan. And so late at night too."  
The old man looked up from his newspaper, his eyes looking over his glasses. He gave a smile and waved them in.  
Bowing their thanks, Toyotama and Akitsu moved to sit at a table near the door, their gazed fixed upon their Ashikabi expectantly. Kenshiro stood transfixed upon the statue.  
"Do you like it?" The elderly woman had noticed him staring at it, and moved beside it.  
"It has been in our family for generations."  
"Bishamonten." That one word escaped Kenshiro's lips. This made the woman smile.  
"Yes, Bishamonten. You know of him?"  
"Why do you house the god of war in your tea house?"  
"Ah," the woman shook her head knowingly. "But he is not merely a god of war. Bishamonten is a god of prosperity and riches, a patron god of those who wish to lead prosperous and fulfilling lives." She picked at an imaginary piece of dust on the statue. "It is only right that we pay tribute the god who watches over us." The woman beckoned Kenshiro to come sit with the two Sekirei.  
"Why is it that you know of Bishamonten?"

The others hadn't picked up on it, but Kenshiro could tell that there was more to this woman. Her features were matronly, but her eyes were sharp; her mind sharper. She was attempting to pry information out of him. But if she was a follower of Bishamonten...  
"Bishamonten has burdened me with a task." His eyes held fast against her own. When he would say no more, her gaze relented. A deep sigh left her lungs as she rubbed her tired hands on her knees.  
"I could tell from the way your gaze locked upon the statue that you were of ours." She nodded slightly. Having kept silent for the entirety of the exchange, Toyotama decided that she needed to muscle in.  
"What do you mean by 'ours'?" She sat close to Kenshiro, whereas Akitsu had gotten up from where she was sitting in order to relocate beside her Ashikabi.  
"Why, a child of Hokuto of course." The elder spoke of this as though it was universal truth. "Your scars were a sure sign that you were from the Hokuto school."

Kenshiro's face relaxed considerably, quietly letting out his breath. His body visibly relaxed, as though he had kept himself coiled like a viper the entire time.  
"Then this is also a sign from the heavens."  
"Perhaps." The old woman motioned to her husband. "Why don't you get the guest room prepared for our guests?" Grumbling softly, the old man headed upstairs. Kenshiro looked a little perplexed.  
"You do not need to help us." This made her smile wider.  
"But I do." She patted his hand, and then his Sekirei's hands. "Besides, you can't drag these poor girls around with you now, can you? The poor things aren't like you Kenshiro-sama; they haven't gone through what you have." Kenshiro's muscles tensed.  
"How do you know my name?" Her eyes denoted a tinge of regret when she stared at him.  
"Those few of us who are left from Hokuto know of the Savior of Hokuto, the man with the seven scars." A wistful look overcame her. "Things are different here than they were not long ago. The Hokuto that was once in this world is all but eradicated." Kenshiro's fists clenched. Akitsu and Toyotama placed reassuring hands on his arms.  
"What happened? Who did this to you?" The elderly woman shooed his question away like an annoying fly.  
"Bah, it isn't important right now; the heavens don't reveal everything to us. You should be more concerned with getting your bearings." She rose from her seat and rubbed the small of her back.  
"Always the back problems when you get to my age."

When she turned, she found Kenshiro beside her, urging her to retake her seat. Obliging him, she knelt back down, only to find his fingers pressing at certain points on her spine and at her sides. A visible look of relief washed over her, as well as a knowing smile.  
"You really ARE the successor to Hokuto Shinken, aren't you?" She looked to him with awe.  
Akitsu and Toyotama merely stared, unsure of what had just transpired. The conversation felt convoluted and confusing.  
Kenshiro merely stared at the old woman, a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She nodded her thanks and patted his hand.  
"Thank you, Kenshiro-sama. I just wanted to make sure that you were the one." Getting up with much more spring in her step, she dusted off her knees and beckoned them to follow her up the stairs.  
"Come on, you can stay with us for the night. It's the least we can do for a man of Hokuto."

They had settled in for the night, with three futons set out on the tatami floor. Akitsu and Toyotama had slid into the first and third futons, waiting for their Ashikabi to take up the middle. Kenshiro moved to the wall close to them and sat up against it, using it to lean against.  
"Does the futon not suit you, Kenshiro-sama?" Akitsu's tone was one of curiosity.  
"I'm alright." Kenshiro moved a little in his new clothes, a little reminiscent of what he was so used to wearing back in his own world - sans the shoulder-pad and sturdy leather.  
Toyotama propped herself onto her shoulders, her bosom spilling in between her arms as she looked at her Ashikabi. She had a curious look of her own.  
"Kenshiro-sama, who are you exactly?"

They waited in silence while their Ashikabi collected his thoughts, eyes closed in contemplation. The minute that passed felt excruciatingly long.  
"I am the 64th Successor to the ancient assassination technique known as Hokuto Shinken; the fist of death." He absently flexed his fingers. "It is an ancient and deadly technique that has been passed down to only one person for over three thousand years." His two Sekirei were now in rapt attention. Toyotama had an eager look in her eyes.  
"Whereas a normal human being would only ever be able to tap into 30% of their body's hidden potential, Hokuto Shinken aids in tapping into the remaining 70%.  
"Unlike other killing techniques, Hokuto Shinken destroys from the inside, striking vital pressure points - of which there are 708, - and causing the internal organs of an opponent to rupture and implode." His eyes took on a hard look.  
"Hokuto Shinken is the fist of the heavens; it is the fist of the god of death. It cannot be defeated."

Toyotama had to remind herself to draw breath, so transfixed on her Ashikabi that she didn't realize she had held her breath for so long. Glancing at Akitsu and seeing the red that was touching her face, Toyotama knew that she would also have a flushed face. She had never met a man like this.  
"You should go to sleep, it is late." His voice woke her from her day-dreaming, bringing back the exhaustion that had long been forgotten and forcing her to yawn.  
As one, the two Sekirei spoke to their beloved Ashikabi.  
"Good night, Kenshiro-sama."

* * *

My apologies for taking so long, I had a little difficulty writing how I wanted this chapter to end.

You have my sincerest thanks for all the reviews, I love reading them very much and they help inspire me to write more.

I hope you enjoy this new chapter, and I shall immediately begin work on Chapter 4, as soon as I get some sleep.


	4. Chapter 4 The House Of Maidens

Good morning, day, or evening to you all. I come before you once again with a chapter of this tale between Hokuto and Sekirei. You have my sincere thanks for your support as well as your input. I quiet cherish the reviews that I get because it helps me keep in touch with the readers.

I always try my best to reply to every review, though sometimes I can be forgetful or simply cannot. A good example would be ShINaiX, who has given me thorough reviews of the chapters, which I have in kind thoroughly enjoyed. Perhaps it is simply because you do not have a Fan-fiction account that I am unable to reply to you, but I am willing to reply through the review board if you would like.

As always, thanks for reading.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fist of the North Star, nor do I own Sekirei.

* * *

Chapter 4 - The House of Maidens

* * *

The air felt as though it could produce flames at any moment, the horizon wavering before his vision. The sun, an enormous ball of white death hovering above, pounded him with unforgiving heat. Each step felt as though it would be his last, but his feet kept supporting him and pushing him forward.  
"Wa... water..." the words were cracked and barely audible, as though even the mention of the life-giving substance was to be parched and burned away by the hellish heat.  
The derelict buildings looming before him were the promise of some respite from the bitter dust storms buffeting his ragged cloak and the over-bearing heat of the sun drying out his already cracked skin. The echo of his boots upon the pavement bounced off of the empty buildings.  
The sand-covered pavement quickly blew up around him in a shower of dust and debris as a large net made of rope pulled his feet from under him. Too weak from lack of both food and water, he easily succumbed to the trapped.  
A handful of men wielding crude weapons surrounded the net, grim faces staring at the captive.  
"Water..." was the only word that could come out of his mouth, the only thing on his mind before his vision turned to darkness.

* * *

"...You will stay in this cell until the elder returns."

The sound came from behind him. Everything was still hazy, and he felt the cold stone floor under him.  
"Looks like they caught another thief." The voice was close by, just to his left. It sounded like the voice of a young boy.  
"Lynn! Get him some water." The footsteps of his captors faded away soon enough, leaving him with his cell-mate and this Lynn. His muscles groaned in protest when he attempted to push himself up onto his elbows. He noticed then, from his peripheral vision, the hands of a child placing a metal cup of water onto the floor beside him.  
"..Th... thank you..."

Before he even had a chance to reach for the water, the other person in the cell lunged at the young girl and grabbed hold of her arm, knocking the cup of water onto the floor. With a grunt he pulled the girl up against the cell bars.  
"Quickly! Get the keys!" he yelled, glancing over his shoulder. "What are you doing!? You also came here to steal from this town; if you don't escape they'll kill you!"  
Rage building up inside like a dormant fire being stoked with fresh lumber, the man grabbed the young thief's arm by the inner elbow.  
"Wha...? Wh-what are-?" His words were cut off as the man pressed a pressure point near the elbow joint, sending intense pain shooting up throughout his arm and hand. The thief screamed as his arm went rigid, sending him sprawling on the ground from the pain.  
"Fuck... What did you do to me!?" he screamed, nursing his arm. The girl merely sat on her rump, blinking at what just happened.  
"Can I still have some water?" The man asked, making girl snap back to reality. Nodding, she ran off.

"Fuck! He's strong!" The thief was still flapping his limp hand vigorously. "It hurts! Why did you do that?" The wanderer had laid down on his back, facing away from the loud-mouth. "If you run away, who will take care of her?"  
The girl stopped walking, turning quickly after hearing what the man said. The boy looked incredulous.  
"How can you talk like that in this day and age? I'm wondering how you've survived 'til now." The thief looked out through the barred window of their cell, to the well in the center of the ram-shackle town.  
"This town has water, which means they definitely have food." He jabbed a thumb in the direction of the well. "To survive, you need water and food! The strong seize it from the weak and thrive. Survival of the fittest is the only law that matters now."

Some men carrying crude pikes and swords busied themselves around the well, standing guard for any trespassers. The thief glared at them from the confines of the cell.  
"In this village, the people have formed a militia to protect themselves. They're amateurs; any well-organized group can destroy them! Say..." the boy scooted over the the man sleeping on the ground. "Wanna be my partner?" In response, the man simply rolled over to face away from the thief. With a sharp sigh, the boy plopped back down onto the bench.  
"Feh! Do whatever you want!"  
The rustle of metal on metal as cups rattled on a thin tray turned their attention to the cell door, the young Lynn having returned with a cup of water, a tomato, and a small loaf of bread. The thief looked positively jubilant.  
"Is that... it's food!"

After drinking his fill, the man set the empty cup down onto the tray. He smiled warmly at Lynn.  
"Thank you, I feel much better now." The girl smiled brightly. "But, aren't you going to get in trouble?" Her cheeks reddened as she looked down at her feet, the smile still upon her face.  
"Heh! She's blushing, what a brat." The thief said as he chewed through a mouthful of bread. The comment went ignored by the wanderer.  
"I am Ken. And you, what is your name?"  
"Don't bother, she can hear you but she's a mute." The boy swallowed his mouthful of bread and took a bite from the tomato. "Feh! It's normal. Her entire family was slaughtered by bandits in front of her. She has no family and she's a burden to the village, so they leave her to keep an eye on prisoners.  
"In this world, kids are useless. Frankly, she'd be better off dead."  
The boy glanced to the girl, seeing that tears were flowing freely down her face.  
"Ah! So... sorry. D-don't stare at me like that!" Unable to look at the girl any longer, the thief quickly turned away and busied himself with a rock on the floor.

Kenshiro stared at her for a moment, watching her as she wiped away the tears. His tired voice held a tinge of sorrow.  
"It's hard, isn't it?"  
Lynn gripped a handful of her skirt tightly in her small fist and shook her head vigorously.  
"No?" Kenshiro became pensive for a moment.  
'This child has seen too much.'  
Kenshiro stretched his arms out of the cell, his hands moving to either side of Lynn's head. The gesture surprised Lynn, who made to back away a step.  
"Do not be afraid. I will not harm you." Kenshiro assured her, giving her a warm smile as his hands touched both sides of her face. His fingers found pressure points just below her jaw line, and gently applied pressure onto them. Something within the young girl awakened, the sensation evident in her widening eyes.  
The thief, intrigued, had inched close to sit on his heels beside Kenshiro.  
"What was that you did just now?"  
"It was a technique that will allow her to speak once again." The boy blinked for a moment.  
"What!? You can do that?" Kenshiro turned his gaze to the boy.  
"Yes, but it is up to her now," he looked once more to Lynn. "The cry of the heart will give her the power to speak once more." The thief scoffed, stretching his arms behind his head lazily.  
"Well, whether that's true or not, this is probably the first time anyone's been nice to her."

The sound of metal grating upon stone came from down the hall. The three turned their heads as one, seeing two guards jogging up the corridor to them. Pulling the cell door open, they pull Kenshiro up to his feet, firmly holding his arms behind him.  
"The elder is here!" One of the guards proclaimed, giving their new captive a side-long glance.  
An old man, possibly over sixty years of age, walked into the cell. He was ringed by armed guards, each looking at their captive suspiciously. The elder wore dark purple robes, his bald head and long white beard painting him as an old sage. The elder stared at Kenshiro for a moment, staring at his eyes to see if he could discern anything from this stranger to their home.  
"Where are you going?" The elder's voice was soft and tired.  
"Doesn't matter." Kenshiro merely looked down at the old man nonchalantly. One of the guards moved to the elder's side so as to whisper in his ear.  
"What if he's one of Zeed's henchmen?" The elder, quiet for but a moment, motioned to the two guards holding Kenshiro.  
"Search him. If he really is one of Zeed's bandits, then he should have their mark upon him."  
The men quickly grabbed hold of Kenshiro's shoulders, yanking the fabric down to bare his chest. As Kenshiro stood there in silent defiance, seven scars uncovered, the sight of those scars made the elder's features pale. The old man's body began to shiver visibly. Some of the men seemed spooked.  
"Elder! What's wrong?"  
It took everything for the old man to swallow the lump in his throat. He held a trembling hand to hid face, wiping the cold sweat from his brow.  
"Hokuto... the star of death." His eyes looked up at the grim face of the man standing before him. "When Hokuto appears, violence will follow."

Before anyone could question the elder further, the loud rumble of engines reverberated throughout the building. Cries could be heard outside.  
"It's a disaster! Zeed's men are here!" The men in the room stood in shocked silence. The growing noise of the motorcycle engines roused them from the temporary stupor, sending them running to the door. One of the men left turned to the girl before leaving.  
"Lynn! You'll be coming too! You have to fight them with us!"  
Lynn stood stiff for a time, swallowing through a dry throat. Looking up, she saw Kenshiro staring at her intently. Looking torn, she pulled the cell keys from her waist and tossed them to the floor near the cell door. Glancing back at Kenshiro, she ran outside.

The thief immediately leaped for the keys, snatching them up and moving towards the lock.  
"Man! You really made an impression on her!" He exclaimed, hands working on the lock. "Since she knows she'll probably die out there, she gave you the keys so you could escape!"  
Kenshiro's eyes narrowed to a dangerous glare.  
"Killed?"  
"Yeah! It's Zeed and his bandits!" The thief grimaced as he went through the ring of keys, one as useless as the next. "Men, women, children, his gang kills them all without mercy."  
Kenshiro became eerily calm, his eyes taking on a deadly look. The muscles in his arms bulged as he gripped the bars of the cell. With a quick motion - akin to that of tearing apart sheets of paper, - the bars were torn apart in an instant. The sound of groaning metal echoed in the chamber. The thief had fallen on his behind, staring in shock at the ridiculous feat he had just been witness to.  
Silently, purposefully, Kenshiro stepped through the gateway of warped metal. Dropping the now useless keys, the boy scrambled to keep up with Kenshiro.  
"Wait! Where are you going!?" He exclaimed, trotting beside his taller counterpart. "The villagers won't last a minute against Zeed and his men! We need to escape while we still can!" If Kenshiro was listening to him, it did not register on his face.

The two stepped out into the light of day, only to fall upon a gruesome scene. Bodies were strewn about all over the battlefield. Bodies had been hacked to pieces, splattered blood lay upon most surfaces. Large, muscular men with cruel-looking weapons stood at the top of a rise near the prison entrance. The largest of them all, a good two feet taller than the other men, held poor Lynn in one giant hand raised over his head. Tattood across the side of his head was Z-666.  
"Stop all resistance! Otherwise I'll crush this girl's head!"  
The bandits had the elder and a handful of men surrounded, backed into a corner. One of the men standing between the elder and the bandits growled in frustration.  
"It's too bad for her! We need to fight back!"  
At the militia's words, the giant's hand gripped Lynn's head between his thumb and index finger, slowly twisting her head until she couldn't help but wince in pain. Kenshiro took a step forward, but as he began to move, Lynn's scream rang clear in the air.  
"Ken!"  
"Don't get any closer!" Cried the giant, keeping a firm grip on the child.  
Both the villagers and the boy thief looked in complete shock, the thief voicing what they were all thinking.  
"She... she actually spoke!" His eyes turned quickly to stare at the wanderer. "Just who are you?" Even as he spoke, Kenshiro had begun walking towards the bandits. Not wanting to receive an axe to the face, the thief hid behind a crumbled section of wall.

Seeing one man walk towards them unafraid made the group of bandits turn their attention to him. Kenshiro stopped as three of the bandits ran up to block his path. They were all a good head taller than he was.  
"What's your problem, what's your problem!?"  
"Yeah, huh!?"  
"You got a death wish, punk!?"  
The three bandits raved and yelled in his face, but could not ruffle his calm expression.  
"Get lost," were the only words to come out of Kenshiro's mouth, cracking his knuckles loudly. The bandits stared at him with blank expression on their face, taken aback that their intimidation hadn't worked. As though only now realizing what he had said, they yelled with rage.  
"Who the hell do you think you are!?"  
"You bastard!"  
"We're gonna kill you!"

Fast enough to seem as nothing more than a blur, Kenshiro's foot arced horizontally across their faces, slicing the air as he struck them all hard in the face with one well-placed kick. The force of the blow pushed them all back a step, the speed sending a billow of dust from the ground to roll behind them.  
As soon as his foot once again touched the ground, Kenshiro pushed his body out into the air, flipping multiple times as though he were a leaf in the wind, to fall gracefully upon his feet before the giant known as Zeed.  
The trio of blundering bandits blinked for a moment, taking a second to realize that their opponent was no longer before them. They all turned as one, face contorted with fury.  
"Bastard! Are you screwing with us!?"  
All three bandits stopped moving before their feet touched the ground mid-stride. A second later, their skulls exploded violently in a shower of gore and viscera, the bodies standing in a twitching, paralyzed state while blood sprayed a few feet high from the gaping maws that were their heads. After a horrifying few seconds, the lifeless bodies tumbled to the floor like puppets with their strings cut.  
Everyone stared in abject horror, looking at the gruesome scene before them. The elder had paled even further - if that was at all possible.  
"Ho... Hokuto Shinken!"

Kenshiro took another two steps towards Zeed.  
"Let her go."  
Zeed's face was contorted in a visage of rage.  
"You killed my men!" If he was going to say something more, or act upon his rage, he didn't get the chance. Kenshiro's body shifted quickly into a fighting stance.  
"Haaaaaaaaa...!"  
His fists flew quickly and precisely, fingers, opened palms and closed fists striking at the giant's face.  
"Ata!"  
His hands became a blur as hundreds upon hundreds of blows rained down upon the giant, bombarding his body with precise strikes.  
"Aaaaatatatatatatatatatatatat ata!"  
The force of the blows, though minor on their own, were steadily lifting Zeed's body up off of the ground, suspending him in an endless flurry of fists.  
"Watah!"

With one last great strike to the solar plexus, Kenshiro sent the bandit leader reeling.  
Amidst the attack, the elder could only watch as he witnessed legend taking physical form.  
'I thought that the Divine Fist of the North Star was but a legend, an ancient assassination technique passed down to one successor, the ultimate killing techniques unrivaled by any force on the face of the earth... but now that legend is here before my very eyes.'  
Zeed's hold on Lynn had broken as he fell backwards onto the hard ground, the little girl falling straight into Kenshiro's open arms. Without even looking back to his opponent, Kenshiro began steadily walking away from the giant.  
Zeed stood up awkwardly, picking up his large axe from the ground. His face was plastered with a wicked grin.  
"Ha! Were those mosquito bites supposed to hurt!? That tickled!" He hefted his weapon, readying it to strike his adversary down. "I'm going to cut you open!"

Kenshiro's eyes stared with that eerie determination, gazing at something before him that was beyond. His raptor's gaze looked deep into something that only he could see.  
"You are already dead."

* * *

Miya woke with a start. Sitting up from her futon, she stared wide-eyed at nothing, trying to calm her breathing. She was having such a strange dream, about a wanderer in a desolate land... and just before she woke up, it was as if the man was staring right at her. She placed her hand over her heart, feeling the rapid heart-beat finally beginning to slow.

Looking out at her window, she guessed that it was still late at night. Laying back down, staring at the ceiling, Miya recalled the man's face. The ragged features as he wandered the wastelands, the kind face he gave to that little red-haired girl, the grim determination he had when he stood against those bandits... the visions of gore and destruction floated up to the surface of her thoughts. She shook her head; that was something she did not want to think about. That someone could do that without some sort of advanced weapon is hard to believe.

Calming herself, reaching out with her heart, she could faintly determine where her potential Ashikabi was situated. He was most likely asleep as well; his heart was lucid and calm. Miya smiled to herself.  
"Will you be a hero like him, Ashikabi-sama? I wonder..."

* * *

In another room of Maison Izumo, a girl squirmed in her bed. Sitting up abruptly, she blinked away the sleep still clouding her mind.  
"...The hell was that?"

Groping around the side of her bed, she found her cell phone amidst random bits and pieces of costumes. Looking at the back-lit light of her phone, she saw that the time was most definitely not what she expected it to be when she woke up.  
Grumbling, she flopped back onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow. The face of the man she saw in her crazy dream was burned in the darkness of her vision. A handsome face, nice figure, blue eyes...

She frowned for a moment. No, not just blue eyes. Those were sad eyes.  
"Man~!" She exclaimed into her pillow - so as not to wake anyone else, - rolling around on her bed. If a guy like that was real, she'd eat one of her costumes.

* * *

In a higher-end hotel room, a blonde-haired woman sat on her bed, her face in her hands. Slipping a hand away from her face, she absentmindedly rubbed her temple. She had never dreamed of such things before. Why would she dream of a man? They were all filthy mongrels fighting for scraps in a desolate wasteland. And for them to attack children...  
Caught up in the dream, having set aside her preconceptions for but a moment, she had cheered on the warrior who had come to the young girl's rescue. The bloody after-math was not what she expected would happen. Before she had roused from her sleep, the words he had spoken almost felt like they were directed at her. A chill went up her spine.

"Curse you, Ashikabi..." She muttered through gritted teeth. She was at a loss as to what she could do. What did this dream mean? Why did she suddenly feel the pull of her Ashikabi?  
There were too many questions left unanswered, and she couldn't begin to fathom the solution to all of them.  
The night was still young, and she could already feel a headache from lack of sleep coming on.  
"I'll find that monkey..." She muttered groggily, her head hitting her pillow and dozing off into a dreamless sleep soon after.

* * *

Up in a smarmy loft apartment, passed out on a very nice looking couch, a voluptuous-looking woman slowly awoke from a hazy drunken sleep. She could barely make out her surroundings, let along remember what she had just seen. Sitting up and pressing her hand to her head, she waited until some of the alcohol haze lifted from her thoughts. She most definitely remembered one thing; the strong man who saved the people in her dream.  
"Ahh~ What a nice dream..." A nostalgic air wafted around her, reaching for a nearly empty bottle of wine to keep her spirits up. Taking a swig, she got up and sauntered out into her bedroom, finding her cozy bed waiting for her.

Lounging in the bed, setting the bottle onto the floor, the woman put her forearm over her eyes, blocking out the moonlight from her vision so she could try and picture that handsome man's face again. Her cheeks flushed from something other than the wine at the thought of him. The bravery and selflessness he demonstrated brought her heart aflutter.

"Mmm, I want a hero like that..." She giggled to herself, reaching out into the empty air with her other hand, shaping the man's face with her fingers. Were that he were only real.

* * *

A child sat in the confines of her room, shivering. It was such a scary dream. The place looked terrible, and all the people were villains straight out of a fairy tale. She liked the little girl, and the man who helped her talk. What was his name?  
"Kenshiro..." She spoke the name aloud, and smiled at herself. He was nice. He beat those bandits and saved everyone. The little girl shook her head when the images of the dead crept up from the darkness of her subconscious. She didn't want to think about that.

Hugging her pillow, the girl wondered about how strange the dream was, and if people like that existed out there in the world. Maybe she could meet friends like Lynn and Kenshiro. She smiled again, nuzzling her pillow and stifling a yawn. Maybe someday.

* * *

A young girl rubbed her eyes of sleep, her shrine maiden's outfit a stark contrast to the plain sheets of her bed. Some nice people had put her up for the night after she had helped them with their chores. She squeezed her fists tightly, recalling the amazing dream she just had. The man who fought those bandits was so strong! She didn't know why she would dream of something like that, but it was definitely a fun dream.  
"Yosh! I'll have to be as strong as him if I want to find my Ashikabi!" She whispered loudly to herself, so as not to wake the residents who had given her a room for the night.

Lying down in her futon, she rolled from side to side, unable to sleep soundly with her thoughts lingering on her dream. A warm feeling in her heart tugged from a direction. Perhaps it was helping her find the way to her Ashikabi. She would have to remember what direction she felt her heart being pulled so she could renew her search tomorrow. It would be another exciting day.

* * *

Both Akitsu and Toyotama awoke, lying in their futons for a time. Toyotama propped herself up on an elbow to look at her fellow Sekirei. Akitsu was staring up at the ceiling for a brief moment before turning to glance at Toyotama.  
They shared a knowing look; they had experienced the same dream. A dream about Kenshiro.

Their Ashikabi sat up against the wall near them, sitting in a meditative position. He looked tranquil, his facial features relaxed and bereft of the furrowed brow or grim stare. A cold feeling, one of the heart and not the body, swept through them. Toyotama immediately slipped out of her futon and nestled herself into her Ashikabi's lap, resting her head against his left shoulder, his arm draped over her back. His warmth was soothing.  
Akitsu followed suit, wrapping them and herself in a blanket before settling down against Kenshiro's other shoulder.  
Due to their presence near him or due to some instinct, Kenshiro's arms pulled them both closer to him in a protective embrace. The gentle pressure against them felt comforting, and they were soon swept off into a deep sleep.

* * *

Kenshiro stirred softly from his slumber. Without opening his eyes, he could determine a dead-weight upon him that wasn't there the night before. He felt warmth from it, and his fingers felt the soft touch of skin upon them. Opening his eyes, he saw the two maidens who had decided to keep him company during his time here, curled up in his lap. A blanket was wrapped around the three of them, keeping in most of their body heat.

They were quite attached to him. He did not understand why. He was not a man who deserved to love or be loved by another, that part of his life was beyond him now. The months he had spent with his beloved Yuria were the most cherished days of his life, and he would give anything to be with her again.  
The man of Hokuto smiled; he would be with her again, someday. He was at peace with death, for it could do nothing more than bring him to his departed wife.  
Though he could not reciprocate the love they felt for him, he still held love in his heart for them, for all of them. Whether he were to meet them or not, Kenshiro was bound to the Sekirei through the divinity of the stars. The heavens themselves connect them together, and in this way Kenshiro feels a closeness to them on a spiritual level.

Bringing himself back from his musings, Kenshiro gently placed Akitsu and Toyotama back onto their futons, covering them with blankets before slipping on the change of clothes the elderly patron had set for him and moving out of the room in complete silence. Not even a mouse could detect him if he wished it.  
Moving downstairs into the tea house's front room, he noticed the old lady sitting at a table with a fresh pot of tea set before her. It was still quite early; they wouldn't need to open for a few hours yet.

The old lady smiled warmly, beckoning him to come sit with her. Pouring out a hot cup of green tea, she waited until Kenshiro was seated in front of her before passing him the steaming cup. He took it graciously.  
"I imagine that you are here because of something important?" Though she smiled her grand-mother's smile, she cut straight to the meat of the matter. She was sharper of wit than she let on.  
"Yes." Kenshiro blew some of the steam softly off of the tea before tasting it. Whether it was poisoned or not didn't matter; poisons do not work against a practitioner of Hokuto Shinken.  
"I see." The old lady watched him for a moment. "As I am sure you understand, going into the lion's den with your fangs bared will be more trouble than it is worth in this instance. Whereas normally you could just walk through the city and destroy everything in your path, unfortunately this isn't something you will be able to accomplish here. There are many innocent people who live in this city." She gave him a bit of a warning look.

If he had any reaction to her stare, his expression betrayed nothing. Finishing the drink, he quietly set the cup down onto the tea tray. Seeing as he would not say anything, the elder continued.  
"You will need to hide yourself among these normal people. Find a place to live for the time being, perhaps get a job so as not to rouse any suspicion." Kenshiro nodded, mulling over the words in his head.  
"I have no knowledge of this place, nor do I of the situation I am in." He stared at her directly. "If I am to save these people, then I will leave nothing to chance. I shall take your advice and find lodging for the remainder of my time in this city."  
The woman smiled and patted his hand.  
"You do your ancestors proud, Kenshiro. I'm sure they are smiling down upon you from the blue sky."

For a time they sat together, speaking of the olden days, of Hokuto and of the differences between his time's Hokuto and theirs. She had been a devout follower - if not a practitioner, - of Hokuto Shinken and its principles. After living with the practitioners for so long, she had decided to retire to this city and open up a tea shop, seeing as that was one of her many specialties back at their homeland.  
After the sun had risen and crept up to mid-morning, the two Sekirei came down the stairs. They looked at once relieved and a little malcontent.  
"You could have woken us, Kenshiro-sama." Toyotama whispered to him as she slid into a seat to his right.  
"We were worried that you had left without us." Though her voice and expression betrayed little, there were undertones of worry when she had spoken. Kenshiro gave them a quizzical look, surprised at the notion.  
"You have both promised to be at my side; I would not dishonor you by leaving you here." This prompted twin looks of relief upon their faces.

The sound of someone clearing their throat brought the girls' attention to the elderly matron.  
"It seems that the three of you are without a rood over your heads at the moment. It just so happens that an old regular customer of mine owns a boarding house. You might be able to find room and board for yourselves there."  
Akitsu and Toyotama shared a look. At least the hassle of finding a place to live was already over and done with, so long as they could get the room.  
"Oba-sama," Akitsu said, breaking the silence. "you said it was an old regular, do they not come by here anymore?"  
The old woman smiled wistfully. "Alas, since her husband passed, I don't think she fancies frequenting this old tea house anymore." She patted Akitsu's hand reassuringly.

* * *

After saying their goodbyes to the kind tea-house matron, the trio made their way to the northern section of the city. Kenshiro moved with purpose, forcing the Sekirei to keep up at a near-jogging pace.

"Kenshiro-sama,"Toyotama began, moving up beside him. "Mind if I ask you something?"  
"Mm."  
"Would you say no to some loving after we get settled in? I'd like to do it before anyone else has a chance to." Although the question was genuine, the blunt way in which she said it would have made most people splutter in confusion.  
Coming up to his other side, Akitsu piped in, "Then I shall have my turn afterwards."  
Shaking his head slightly, Kenshiro gave them both an incredulous look.  
"Are you all like this?" They both looked at each other, and then to their Ashikabi.  
"Like what?"  
Kenshiro could only sigh inwardly. Of all the things he would find trying, the last thing that had come to mind was the completely clear advances from these strange girls. He was actually hoping to run into more of those Yakuza, if it would give him respite from their poorly-veiled invitations.

Walking briskly through the streets of Shin-Tokyo, arm-in-arm, the trio headed towards their next destination; Maison Izumo.

* * *

The sky was mostly clear of clouds today, the sun shining brightly and making its way up to its zenith. Miya, dressed in her traditionally purple and white garb, swept the front entrance to her boarding house as was per usual. She placed a delicate hand over her brow to look up at the sky.  
"What nice weather today." The cool breeze with the bright sun brought a small smile to her lips.

What at first she believed to simply be the warmth of the sun seeping into her body, was now more distinct. Her heart was brimming with warmth. The intensity felt as though it was steadily increasing. Could it be that her Ashikabi-to-be was headed in her direction?  
Moving up to the edge of the street, Miya glanced down the road to see if she could glimpse at the person who could be her own. The sun was glaring down in the opposite direction, making it difficult for her to see.  
For the most part, her feelings were mixed on this. She was unsure whether or not she could move on, and for her to have an Ashikabi at this point...

Soft, faint foot steps echoed up from the street she was gazing down. Miya waited with bated breath, her broom forgotten in her hands. The steps echoed louder as they came closer. Her heart was beating faster, the heat within her chest now burning within her. She had to fight the urge to run up the street.  
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Miya took a steady hand to her broom, and continued to sweep. It wouldn't do for him to see her standing agape at the edge of the street like some fool.  
Glancing to the side, hearing the steps just past the edge of the boarding house's fence, Miya leaned forward a little, a lock of her hair falling down past her ear.

The silhouette of a tall man, well over six feet, towered over her as he slowed to a halt before her. His dusty brown shoes, dark blue denim shirt and sleeveless jacket and red shirt stood out as odd. The finely-wrought muscles apparent upon his chest and muscles were impressive. Small pale discs, scars of some sort, poked out from the top of his shirt. When she looked up at his face, her breath caught. Sad eyes.  
His bright blue eyes held deep sorrow within them, and she could see herself reflected within them clearly. Something within her heart wrenched, making her stomach feel heavy. It took some willpower to stop herself from taking a step forward.  
"Are you the proprietor of Maison Izumo?"  
His question made her jump back to reality. Blinking, she nodded. "Yes, I'm Asami Miya-san, the proprietor of Maison Izumo. And you are...?"  
"Kenshiro."  
"Kenshiro..." She repeated the name back to herself in a whisper, touching her fingertips to her lips.

The sound of footsteps rapidly grew as two girls appeared at his side suddenly. They were strangely dressed, it was obvious to her that they were Sekirei.  
"Kenshiro-sama," The pale one said with a bit of exhaustion seeping through her fairly flat tone of voice, "you could have warned us when you were going to move like that."  
The other Sekirei, holding a staff behind her, gave him a light punch on the shoulder.  
"Didn't know you could move that fast for a human, didn't know you could move that fast."  
Kenshiro touched their shoulders and whispered apologies before turning back to Miya.  
"Did you have any extra room for my companions and I?"  
The proximity to him was unbearable, the urge to move to him was overwhelming to say the least, but she could endure it for now.  
"Of course, will it be just the three of you?" The two Sekirei nodded the affirmation. "Well, I do have a few rooms available, Kenshiro-san, you can take one while your friends can share another." This brought some protest from the two Sekirei.  
"Why can't we share a room?" Toyotama asked. Miya giggled lightly, hiding her smile behind her hand. A Hannya appeared behind her shoulder.  
"Lewd acts are prohibited in the Izumo household, it wouldn't do to have you sharing the same room now, would it?" That, and at the moment she felt territorial over her possible Ashikabi.

Her body nearly made her shift back a step when she felt an incredible amount of Sakki burst forth from Kenshiro. Something had appeared behind him much as her Hannya mask did when she wanted to threaten or coerce her tenants into obedience. A large man much the same as Kenshiro, glowing white and blue with power, hovered behind him. A face contorted in a visage of righteous fury glared down at her. The killing intent was not only evident, but was completely crushing. It lingered for a moment before dissipating, much like her Hannya. She would have to be careful, for his Sakki to react instinctively like that could only mean that he was a powerful individual.

She flinched instinctively when she felt a hand at her shoulder, bringing her back from her thoughts. Kenshiro's hand was gently placed upon her arm, a look of genuine concern in his eyes.  
"Are you alright? You look pale."  
"Oh, it's fine. Don't worry about me." She gave him a kind smile; it wasn't hard to muster one up. The reaction to his touch made her body tingle, like electricity coursing through her body.  
Slipping away from his touch - albeit reluctantly, - Miya led them to the front door of the boarding house.  
"Welcome to Maison Izumo everyone."

* * *

And there you have it. My apologies for the extended waiting period between Chapter 3 and 4; I intended for the dream sequence not to have taken so long, but I was having difficulty finding time to write without feeling completely exhausted. I would have ended the chapter much sooner but wished to get certain parts into this chapter before I ended it.

My apologies if the ending isn't as good as most times, I have difficulty finding a good stopping point. But hopefully you've enjoyed yourselves, and I promise that I shall begin writing the next chapter as soon as possible.

As always, thanks for reading, and don't forget to leave a review, I read and reply to all of them if at all possible, and enjoy seeing them.


	5. Chapter 5 A Knight In Shining Armor

Allow me to first and foremost address the punctuality in which I've uploaded this chapter. You have my sincerest regrets and apologies for not uploading sooner than I have. Many things have happened in my life (none serious mind you, no need to fear) that had constantly stalled me in writing this chapter. I'm relieved that I have managed to finish it, and already have the beginning of the next chapter marked out and will begin Chapter 6 tomorrow at the latest from the moment that I upload this one.

I wish you all to know that I will never stop writing this story until I have finished it. I have a grand arc that I wish to portray through this story, and would like to see it through. Sometimes it may feel as though I've lost interest, and in many cases for some this may be so, but the only way to see something through is for you to push forward. This is what I shall do.

As always, you have my sincerest thanks for reading this story, and for staying with me for the ride.

Enjoy.

I do not own anything from Fist of the North Star, nor do I own anything from Sekirei.

Chapter 5 - A Knight In Shining Armor

Uzume awoke, her mind groggy from waking and going back to sleep in the middle of the night. The slight murmur of voices downstairs had incessantly prodded at her mind until she could ignore it no longer.

"Urgh, can't a girl get any sleep around here?" she muttered to herself, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes while she regained her bearings.  
Sliding off her bed in a slug-like fashion, Uzume grabbed her usual pair of jeans and shirt, pulling them on while she lay on the floor. She wasn't much of a morning person. She felt like she had no bones in her body as she trudged sleepily out of her room and towards the stairs leading down.

Quietly making her way to the first floor, Uzume was greeted by the sight of her land-lady, Miya, as well as two girls and a man sitting at the living room table. Upon her appearance, Miya stopped mid-sentence to look at her. Her face wore a smile, but Uzume could feel the scary Hannya rising up from behind her land-lady's head.

"Ah, perfect timing. This is Uzume-san, she is one of my tenants." Miya hid her smile behind her hand and giggled.

"I'm surprised that you're awake before noon, Uzume-san."  
Uzume could only let out an awkward laugh, waving away the notion that she was a layabout with one hand.

Sitting down beside Miya, Uzume blinked when she saw the man's face more closely. Perhaps it was because she had just woken up, but she swore that she could remember him from somewhere. Miya motioned a hand gently towards the guests.

"Uzume, this is Toyotama-san, Akitsu-san, and Kenshiro-san. They will be new tenants starting today." Akitsu gave a formal bow, though said nothing.

"Nice to meet you." Toyotama gave a smaller bow than her counterpart.  
The man gave her but a slight inclination of his head.

"I'm Uzume, nice to meetcha." She gave them a bright smile.

A sudden thought came up into her mind with a jolt. Last night's dream. The man here looked identical to who she had seen in her dream, the fighter who took out those freaks with the crazy hair-dos.

"Uzume-san, are you alright?" Miya asked, a slight look of concern over-taking her features. Uzume laughed away the concern, putting a hand to the back of her head as she reclined on the floor.

"It's nothing, it's nothing! Ahaha..."  
The sound of more footsteps brought their attention to a young silver-haired man coming down the steps, working on a black neck-tie that he was having difficulties with. He stopped mid-stride when he noticed the people sitting at the living room table.

"Oh, hello." He gave them a casual wave, an easy smile spreading on his face.

"Kagari-kun, off to work today?" Miya asked, getting to her feet so that she could give him a hand with his tie. The young man nodded, brushing some hair off of his face.

"Of course. I'm still number one at the host club." Miya gave a lilting laugh, then turned to the guests when she was finished fixing Kagari's neck-tie.

"Kagari-kun, I'd like you to meet Akitsu-san, Toyotama-san, and Kenshiro-san. They will be living here beginning today." The three exchanged greetings with Kagari, who had to cut the pleasantries short due to having his job to go to.

They sat together at the table for a while still, going over the living arrangements. Kenshiro would be given a room beside Kagari while Toyotama and Akitsu would be residing in the room opposite of his. Kenshiro did not seem to make any such fuss about not being in the same room as his companions, though the same could not be said of his Sekirei.  
Toyotama placed her hands on the table, leaning forward.

"I have to object to these room arrangements. I don't see any reason why we can't share the same room." Akitsu nodded, placing a hand on her Ashikabi's forearm. She leaned forward to speak up.

"It would make sense to have us in the same room; it would save you a room and money."

Miya folded her hands in her lap, looking at them both patiently. If she had any inclination to let them have their way, it did not look to be so on her face.

"Unfortunately I cannot have you in the same room and risk the chance of indecent conduct going on within the Izumo household." She smiled for a moment. "Unless you would like to find someone else who could take you in?"  
Their boldness now deflated, both Sekirei acquiesced to their land-lady's decision.

"You all look exhausted, you can go see to your rooms while I draw a bath."  
Miya led them up to their rooms not far off, and then excused herself so that she could see to the bath.

~-~-~-~-~-~

Kenshiro had been standing in the awkward silence of the bath room for some time now. His mind was running over information again and again, flicking through recent events at a rapid pace, not giving him a moment's rest. He was put here so that he could save people he didn't know - who didn't know he existed as far as he knew - from some as-of-yet unknown adversary, and he's at a boarding house with a group of women, about to take a bath.  
He could not put into words the exasperated feeling of confusion he felt at that moment.

Letting out a calming breath, Kenshiro woodenly removed his clothing, folding them and placing them in the wicker basket near the door. He flexed every muscle in his body as he took a few steps towards the large wooden bath. His joints creaked as the muscles and tendons stretched, pulling at his joints until they popped to a relaxed position. Meticulously rolling his shoulders, elbows, wrists, ankles and knees, Kenshiro went through a mental check of his body, pinpoint by feeling what might be damaged, what needed attention via acupressure. Despite the lack of strenuous activity the last couple of days, his body had an amount of exhaustion set into it that he could not explain.  
Perhaps it was mental fatigue. New experiences have been thrown at him in droves, and he hadn't taken a moment to soak it all in.

Soaking was something he was surprisingly eager to do now, as his weary legs slipped into the hot water. Sitting down in the bath water, he still cleared the water up to just below his pectorals. Resting his back against the warm wood of the bath, Kenshiro closed his eyes, letting the warmth of the water seep into his muscles and bones, gently undoing knots and massaging his entire body through inducted heat.  
His mind washed away all thoughts within, leaving itself blank, calm. His breathing slowed to a gentle rhythm, his heart beating only twice as fast as his slowly drawn breaths.

The man of Hokuto meditated in quiet solitude for some time, enjoying the tranquility without the desolation for once. He felt lost in a world not his own. A heavy feeling deep in the pit of his stomach was a prelude of things to come. His worry was not of failing in his mission, but of losing himself and who he was in the process.  
Kenshiro's mind reeled with the feeling of responsibility for so many people. This was different than what he had been through so far. In a land where strength meant everything, things were easily black or white. In this world, it was much more. With so many thoughts cluttering his mind, making it hard for him to breathe or concentrate, Kenshiro needed to escape into true solitude, if only for a time.  
Quickly toweling himself down, he grabbed his pants and slipped out into the night through the window.

~-~-~-~-~-~

Toyotama, Uzume and Akitsu had made their way up into their room, Uzume having followed them to 'hang out' as she put it. It wasn't as though there was anything better to do at the moment, and there were questions nagging at the back of her mind that needed answers.  
The room - luckily, - was already furbished and homely. The two new arrivals meandered about the room, inspecting the closet and beds while Uzume made herself comfortable on the floor, laying down with her limbs spread out. She watched the two patiently until they sat down next to their house-mate.

"So..." Uzume began, propping herself up on her elbows, "your Ashikabi was pretty quiet earlier." This brought a raised eyebrow from Akitsu, but no reaction from Toyotama. The staff Sekirei merely smiled.

"I thought I recognized you from somewhere. Number ten, right?"

"Haha, that's right. You seem to know a lot." It was Uzume's turn to smile. "Don't worry though, we're all friends here. None of you will get attacked by other Sekirei while you're under this roof."

"We would have nothing to fear even if this wasn't the case." The normally quiet Akitsu responded with calm authority. It was true; neither appeared to have been on edge in the slightest, even with the obligatory hazing that Miya gives new tenants via her scary Hannya stare.

"I guess not..." Uzume flopped back onto the floor for a moment before looking up at the two. "So... spill. What's your Ashikabi like? He didn't say anything while I was at the table." She grinned. "He didn't look like the shy type."  
Akitsu and Toyotama shared a look between themselves. With a tired sigh, Toyotama closed her eyes and scratched her cheek with a finger lightly, almost as an act of frustration.  
"Of all the people in this city, he is by far the last person I could imagine to have winged me." When she saw the look of confusion on Uzume, she elaborated. "Well, the fact that I had to put in an effort for him to wing me is evidence enough of that." Akitsu leaned in to join in the conversation.  
"In all cases, I should no longer have the capability of being winged. Kenshiro-sama somehow restored my Sekirei crest from its broken state."

Uzume nodded, then shot up to a sitting position. "Eh!? you're THAT Akitsu?" The tales of a broken number roaming the streets of Shin-Tokyo after escaping from the MBI labs had been a hot topic of conversation among the Sekirei for a little while, but for the most part had been swept under the rug, so to speak. For her to not only be here, but to have had her crest restored - something that nobody currently working for MBI could even begin to fathom as to how one would fix a Sekirei's crest in that manner, - this Kenshiro had more to him than meets the eye, and she felt as though they had yet to even scratch the surface.

"Well, at least with this MBI ought to stop pursuing you now that you're back in the game." This brought a slight smile to Akitsu's lips, nodding solemnly.

"Indeed, Kenshiro-sama saved me that night."

"What is he like?" Uzume pressed, wanting to at least stay on topic. "Sorry if I sound forceful, I'm just really curious now." She smiled apologetically and scratched the back of her head.  
They were both quiet for a time, looking as though they were searching for words that didn't seem to come to mind. Toyotama was the first to speak up.

"It's... difficult to explain." Her brow furrowed slightly in concentration. "When I'm close to him, I can feel this mix of emotion coming from deep inside, as if it was hidden under tons of layers." Uzume's heart began to beat a little faster; the way Toyotama described it was exactly the way she had felt those strange emotions the last two nights. She had trouble curbing her eagerness to hear more. It was like getting to the best part in a manga; she couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Toyotama propped herself up on an elbow, her position cutting a very womanly figure of herself.

"He seems like a bit of a prude," she said with a smirk, "but I can definitely wear down his resolve; he is still a man after all." The statement brought some heat to Uzume's cheeks.

"What happened the night that you met him?" Uzume asked, turning her attention to Akitsu.  
The Ice Sekirei looked as though she was searching for the proper words for some time. Smoothing over the short skirt of her kimono, she took in a deep breath.

"I was in the park when a car had pulled up. I believe it was some wealthy Ashikabi; the car looked expensive and he had a few Sekirei with him, even though he was just a child." She gave them both a meaningful look. "Mutsu was among them."  
Uzume gave a low whistle. "Number 05, huh?" Akitsu nodded.

"I was... in a dark place that night, and that Ashikabi sought me out in order to add me to his Sekirei 'collection' - he even admitted to seeing us as nothing more than toys for his amusement." A flash of anger alighted in her grey eyes for but an instant. The ire was replaced by a soft smile.

"That was when he came. None of them could see him yet, and my back was turned to him, but just by the certainty in how he was approaching us from the darkness they could tell that he was dangerous." Toyotama raised her eyebrows in mild surprise.

"Eh, even Mutsu was on his toes?"

"He was the first one to draw his weapon." Her gaze looked off into the memories of that night. "Kenshiro-sama came between us and asked them to leave. When the Ashikabi refused, he struck them down in an instant." She looked to Toyotama, and then to Uzume.

"Mutsu didn't stand a chance. He lasted less than five seconds, and Kenshiro-sama snapped his sword in two with only one hand. The other Sekirei that was with them barely made it out of there had I not stopped him from pursuing them." Akitsu rubbed two fingers on the side of her neck. "He did something to me, around this spot... it tingled with heat for a moment and the next thing I knew, my Sekirei Crest was back where it belonged."

They all sat around in awkward silence for a time. Toyotama leaned forward, a look of mischief plainly on her face. She jabbed a finger at Uzume's stomach.

"Mind telling us why you're so interested in our Ashikabi?"  
Uzume quickly flailed her hands about, trying to mask her surprise with laughter.

"Ahaha... it's nothing at all! I was just curious, that's all!" The other two exchanged looks. Toyotama made a show of leaning towards Akitsu.

"Maybe she's scoping out the competition." Akitsu caught the meaning, and followed suit with the joke.

"Mmm, she might think she's enough to steal our Ashikabi." They both nodded to each other.

"Now now, it's not like that..." Uzume exclaimed,feeling as though she was being roped into this whole situation. Toyotama and Akitsu both smiled mischievously.

"We were just teasing you, Uzume-san," Toyotama reassured her, "We're not over-protective of our Ashikabi. If you think he's the one, he's the one." She shrugged a shoulder offhandedly. Uzume lot out a calming breath, putting a hand on her chest. "Thanks."

~-~-~-~-~-~

They sat together for a time, talking about little things. Akitsu was quiet for the most part but enjoyed the company. Uzume was more animated and would take the lead of the conversation for the most part. Toyotama would poke fun at the two Sekirei now and then, finding the teasing entertaining.

Suddenly, after a quiet moment had passed, Toyotama rose up to her feet and made her way to the door.

"Toyo-chan, what're you up to?" Uzume asked, turning towards her. The Staff Sekirei, brushing her hair back from her face, looked to the two of them with an exasperated face.

"I'm sitting in this room doing nothing while my Ashikabi lays naked in a room a few meters down the hallway, and I'll be damned if I don't take the opportunity now." She gave a sultry smirk that was her norm. "I've yet to enjoy my Ashikabi's touch other than that initial kiss and holding his arm; here's the chance for a bit more."  
Akitsu methodically rose up to her feet, brushed off her kimono, and made her way to the door as well. The two Sekirei stopped after opening the door to look back at Uzume.

"Well?" Toyotama asked.

"Are you coming with us?" Akitsu continued.

Although she had the distinct feeling that this could only end in them being punished by Miya-san, she'd feel pretty stupid sitting in someone else's room while they were out sneaking into the bath.

The trio silently padded along the wooden floor of the hallway, making sure that they weren't going to run into Miya-san before reaching their destination. Although it felt as though they were sneaking, Toyo and Akitsu moved with fluid grace and a determined step.  
With one last look around themselves to make sure that the coast was clear, the Sekirei quietly slid the bathroom door enough for them to slip through, shutting it behind them. They wasted no time in shedding their clothes, barely covering themselves with their arms and towels.

"What the..." came Toyo's voice from within the bathroom, as she had slipped in ahead of them. Akitsu walked towards the doorway.

"What's wrong?" She asked from the open frame of the door.

"He's gone." Toyotama replied, coming back towards them. "The window's open, I think he might have slipped out at some point." She chewed the tip of her thumb in restrained frustration. Uzume puzzled over the strange turn of events.

"Where do you think he's gotten to?"

"I'm not sure." The staff Sekirei ran a hand through her hair, looking back towards the window. "I have an inkling; we can feel his approximate direction due to our bond with him." Akitsu nodded in confirmation when Uzume turned to her.

"Ah well," she sighed, "he'll come back here. He didn't seem like the kinda guy who'd bail out on you." Uzume smiled. "Let's just wait for him to come back, and we'll pounce on him then."  
Toyotama and Akitsu shared a look, before asking in unison, "We?"

"Oops... haha, my bad."

~-~-~-~-~-~

The echo of rapid footfalls reverberated off of the lonely buildings, involuntarily sounding out as a beacon for her pursuer. The young maiden gripped her identical swords so tightly that the skin on her knuckles were white, the adrenaline of fear spurring her to move faster.  
She had already lost track of the number of turns she had taken, darting between buildings and ducking into side streets.

The glint of steel in the moonlight was the only warning she had as she narrowly dodged the tip of a katana slicing through the air precisely where her head was a mere second before. Short strands of the young maiden's purple hair fell from her head, proof of just how close the cut had truly been.  
Her pursuer, donning a black uniform similar to a kimono and wielding a katana deftly in her skilled hands, smiled the smile of a predator having cornered her prey. Flipping the weapon over in her hand, the grey-haired assailant lunged forward, the tip of her sword slicing upwards in a crescent motion.  
The purple haired maiden tried to deflect the blow, but the sword battered back her weapons with a flourish. Staggering to regain her stability, she couldn't react in time to prevent the strike that cut into her shoulder. A spray of blood sprayed from an artery in her neck, splattering the wall beside them. Her green uniform quickly soaked up the blood running down her neck and shoulder.

The woman in the black uniform looked down at her injured prey with hungry eyes. Her lop-sided grin gleamed off of her blood-stained sword as she raised it at shoulder level, preparing to finish the deed. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the blade whistling down to cut into her opponent's body, only to witness the blade snap in half before even reaching its designated target.  
Looking at her stunted weapon in perplexity, the swords-woman quickly turned behind her when a cold chill ran up her spine.

A tall, bare-chested man stood less than two feet before her, the blade of her katana between two of his fingers. She was intrigued not only with how easily he broke her sturdy weapon, but with the manner in which he hid his presence from her so utterly.  
The man casually snapped the metal fragment between his fingers and let the pieces clatter onto the concrete, his raptor-like gaze never leaving her own. The intensity in which he was glaring at her had made her forget to breathe. This one proved interesting.

"If you wish to die, step forward." The stranger declared, cracking his knuckles slowly and deliberately.

"Mmm, a tempting offer, but seeing as you've disarmed me, it wouldn't make for much sport now, would it?" She gave him a cold smile, her eyes gleaming with murderous intent. She wouldn't be able to do as well in hand to hand combat with this one, that much was for certain if he is able to break steel with his fingers. Her bones were not as strong.  
With a back-step, the grey-haired assassin launched herself up onto the roof of one of the buildings, make good her escape from the scene.

Kenshiro only spent a short moment to watch the attacker as she fled the area. It would do no good for him to pursue her now. The injured girl was his immediate concern.  
The Hokuto practitioner walked over to the girl and knelt beside her. She was still conscious for the moment, but she was losing a lot of blood. A cursory glance showed her to have a large slash wound between her shoulder and neck, having cut open an artery.

Wasting no time, Kenshiro pulled away some of the cloth around the wound to prevent the fabric to stick to the open flesh. With precise placement and pressure, he stifled the flow of blood to that side of the girl's neck using her pressure points. Once he had the blood flow to her gaping wound under control, he worked to help her body heal rapidly by activating pressure points that increased her natural healing capabilities.  
Kenshiro felt her grip his forearm tightly. Looking down at her face, her cheeks were flushed and she had a wild look in her eyes.

"I... I'm-" She managed to stammer out before Kenshiro gently placed a finger on her lips.

"Don't speak. You must conserve your strength if you are to live." She mumbled softly, her eyes closing gently from the heaviness of induced sleep when Kenshiro had pressed an acupuncture point in order to let her rest.

He had nothing conventional in order to help dress her wound. With care, he gently lifted the unconscious woman up into his arms, making sure to keep a hand over her wound to keep pressure onto it in case the added movement of carrying her would increase the blood flow to her neck.  
Before getting up to his feet, he looked down to the girl's Sekirei crest emblazoned upon her green uniform and the number 19 marked on her tall white boots. His brow drew down, his features taking on a dangerous look.  
In order to save these one hundred and eight, he would have to first save them from killing themselves.  
In the dread silence of the night, the man of Hokuto began his trek back to his new home.

There you have it. My apologies if it isn't as large as the last few chapters or as filled with varying action, but interaction between characters was something I wished to convey in this chapter.

Feel free to leave reviews, I read and reply to each and every one that lets me do so, and I love reading them all.


	6. Chapter 6 Evil Does Not Go Unpunished

Good evening and happy holidays to all of you. The newest chapter is finally up, and I sincerely thank all of you for your favoriting and reviews, as well as those of you who have decided to follow this story. I check up on the story every day for reviews and the like, and write at least some of the newest chapter every day if I can.

As always, thank you for reading, and enjoy.

I do not own Fist of the North Star or 6 - Evil Does Not Go Unpunished

~-~-~-~

The tall figure of Kenshiro became visible in the light of the doorway, the bloodied body of the wounded maiden held tightly against himself. The sound of someone entering the household garnered the attention of Miya, who looked in genuine surprise at what her new tenant had brought home.

"Oh my," she said, waving Kenshiro towards the hallway. "Bring her over quickly, we'll take a look at her wounds and patch her up."  
Setting her down onto a mattress, Kenshiro was careful not to upset the area where her wound's blood-flow had been stymied. Moments later, Miya - along with Uzume, Akitsu and Toyotama, - returned with bandages, a damp cloth and a bowl of cold water.  
After cleaning up the wound and wrapping it in some bandaging, Miya bid the rest of the group a good night and headed to bed, urging them to do the same. Not wanting to leave their Ashikabi all alone, the two stayed by his side while he watched over the sleeping Ikki.  
Though she wasn't his Sekirei, Uzume stayed with them as well.

"Who did this anyways?" Uzume asked, cutting into the heavy silence.

"A woman with silver hair." was all that Kenshiro told them, his gaze fixed on Ikki. Though the description didn't appear to give any hints to Uzume and Akitsu, Toyotama took on a hard look.

"Karasuba." The others all turned to look at her, Uzume's eyes wide.  
"The Black Sekirei?" She asked. Toyotama nodded. "I heard that she was known to hunt down Sekirei in the night, but I didn't think she was actually doing it." Uzume shook her head. "Going out there and picking us off like we're just some kind of prey..."

"How did you rescue her, Kenshiro-sama?" Toyo asked, turning to her Ashikabi.  
"I disarmed her before she could deliver the finishing stroke." There was no anger in his voice, but with the way he was staring at the wounded Sekirei and what they could feel within their hearts, they could tell that he was incensed.

They stayed with him for a time, but the day's fatigue wore on, and they felt it was time to retire for the night. Akitsu, on the other hand, decided to stay by her Ashikabi's side until he felt it was time for himself to rest as well.

Akitsu needed to be near her Ashikabi, needed to be near the person who picked up her pieces and made her whole again. Sitting around and chatting with Uzume and Toyotama, she realized how much of herself she closed off from them, from her Ashikabi. She didn't wish to keep her heart closed from him. He was so detached from all of them, so removed, that sometimes she could feel a similar loneliness within her that mirrored his own.  
If she could open her heart to him, perhaps he could do the same.

Akitsu gently placed her hand upon Kenshiro's to get his attention. Turning his head slightly, Kenshiro looked into the Ice Sekirei's eyes. Her normally soft auburn eyes shone with a brightness within that he had not noticed before. The expression on her face denoted a struggle to find the right words to express her thoughts. She gently bit her lower lip as she formed the words in her mind.  
"Kenshiro-sama..." she began, looking away for a moment before staring directly into his eyes. "...do you love us?" She stumbled mid-sentence, about to ask him if he loved her. It would seem too personal if she were to ask him that, she felt uncomfortable enough asking him this question as it was.

Kenshiro looked at her with a slightly surprised face, gazing at her for a moment before showing her a soft smile. Her heart felt as though it was soaring when she saw it. His eyes took on a look of loneliness, of sorrow. He reached up and gently cupped the side of her face. She could feel the pangs of sadness echoing within her own heart.  
Akitsu held his hand in hers, a tear forming on the corner of her eye as she pressed his hand to her lips.

The sound of Ikki groaning made Akitsu jump, quickly releasing Kenshiro's hand and wiping away the tear. The wounded Sekirei's eyes had difficulty focusing on her surroundings, the ceiling light interfering with her sensitive eyes due to having been unconscious for a few hours. Once her vision cleared, her eyes widened at the sight of the man who saved her life this night.  
As Ikki began to prop herself onto her hands so that she could lift herself into a sitting position, sharp pain spread through her shoulder and side like fire. Gently, Kenshiro settled her back down onto the bed.

"Rest. You've been severely injured." The deep sound of his voice made both Akitsu's and Ikki's hearts beat faster. Ikki whispered her thanks before resting her head onto the pillow.  
Some time passed before anyone said anything.

"Thank you..." Ikki began, "for saving me when you did." Kenshiro showed no reaction nor said anything. In the awkward silence Ikki lightly cleared her throat.

"I... felt something just before I lost consciousness. "It was a... a warm feeling that calmed my soul. It made me feel as though my heart was filled with something I didn't even know was missing."

"It sounds similar to the feeling I had when I was winged." Akitsu chimed in, leaning in closer to Ikki. The wounded Sekirei shook her head, her cheeks reddening at the thought.

"I know what it's like when you feel your Ashikabi near, and this was different." She turned her head to look at Kenshiro's face. "It was deeper than that, it was on a more spiritual level... I think."  
Kenshiro's eyes took in Ikki's for a time, his raptor-like gaze staring through her, as though he was gazing into her soul.

"All of you, all one hundred and eight of you, are connected to me by the will of the heavens." The statement left both Ikki and Akitsu a little confused. "We are bound together by the heavens," he repeated, "though I cannot reveal everything that has come to pass, know this."

"I was brought to your world so that I could break the chains of your fate, that you may once again lead lives which only you can choose."

After making sure that Ikki was comfortable and seeing that Akitsu had gone to bed, reluctantly though she did even though dawn was soon to break, Ken made his way towards his room. His head turned at the sound of someone coming up the stairs. By the way she moved and the particular spirit that was coming from her, he could tell that it was the land lady. He frowned when he finally saw the look of distraught painted on her face.

"Kenshiro-san," she said with a worried tone, "an old man, - an acquaintance of mine - is here to see you. I think you should see him." She placed a hand on her heart, a pained look in her eyes. The change in her demeanor put him on edge.

Going down into the living-room, Kenshiro sees that the person here to see him is none other than the Oji-san from the old tea house. He had an old cap crumpled in his hands from wringing it, the corners of his eyes reddish and puffed up from what was most likely tears.  
At seeing Kenshiro move towards him, the old man shot up to his feet and wrung his hat in his hands, tears once more forming in his eyes.

"Please, Kenshiro-sama, you need to help!" He cried, his voice cracked from the ordeal. "My wife, she was taken by some thugs. They called themselves the Kuroryu." He struggled past the lump in his throat. "They threatened to kill her if I didn't come and get you!"

Ken's mind filed through the past days, looking for any time that they could have found him anywhere around the tea house. He reasoned that they could have pumped the information out of locals on the street, most likely while he was sleeping. He mentally chastised himself for being so sloppy.  
Kenshiro gently placed a hand on the old man's shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze.

"Even if it garners my death, I will do everything in my power to save your wife." The old man visibly relaxed, letting out a calming breath just as a small smile made its way to his lips.  
"Thank you Kenshiro, you don't know what this means to me."

"We all have someone dear to us, I could never admonish you for doing everything in your power to protect the one you love." Taking his hand off of the old man's shoulder, Ken turned towards the door, looking back to the man once more. "Let's go."

Once they had gotten outside to the courtyard, they found Miya waiting for them there. She gave the old man reassuring words before moving to Ken.

"Make sure you don't get yourself killed, alright?" Her voice had no hint of sarcasm or jest, she felt true worry for him. Kenshiro merely looked at her for a moment; people normally did not show this kind of worry for him, in part due to his martial prowess but also due to ignorance of his cruel upbringing.

"Miya-san," he spoke, not noting the ever so faint look of disappointment on Miya's face at the chosen honorific, "I do not wish for any of you to get involved. They are in danger because of my actions, my honor demands that I make things right."  
She could only nod, giving him a gentle touch of her hand to his fore-arm.

~-~-~-~

From her window at the front of the Inn's second floor, Uzume was able to hear most of what was being said, even though it was merely the second half of the conversation. She looked intently at Kenshiro leaving from the front entrance with the poor old man, towards who knows what kind of trouble they were about to get themselves into.  
Although she had only been able to hear some of the conversation - including the admonition for them not to get involved with whatever was going to happen this morning, - it only served to enforce her need to act. She wasn't some weak teenage girl, she was a Sekirei. Uzume was bound and determined to help Ken-chan save that oba-chan.

After taking a minute to quickly change into her combat attire, consisting primarily of the sturdy white cloth she used to fight her fellow Sekirei, Uzume, ever-so-quietly slid her window open to sneak out before anyone could notice when a hand gently tapped her shoulder, making her nearly lose her footing and squeal in fright.  
Clutching her hand to her heart in a comedic fashion and gripping the window-sill tightly, Uzume turned to see Miya standing beside her.

"Where do you think you're going, Uzume-san?" She asked, giving her a serious look unlike her Hannya-producing stare.

"I'm..." she stuttered nervously. Clearing her throat, Uzume took on a more determined look. "I'm going to help Ken-chan save that oba-chan, whether he likes it or not."  
Instead of admonishing her like she was supposed to, Miya gives Uzume a warm smile.  
"Good. I would expect nothing less." Uzume looked at Miya for a moment, blinking once or twice before shaking her head.  
"What? You're not going to stop me? But I thought-"  
"I understand what you've been feeling Uzume-chan," Miya said, cutting her off. "I'm a Sekirei too, remember? You should follow your heart on this one."

With a smile and a heartfelt nod, Uzume leaped off towards the direction that she had seen Ken go. Miya spent a moment to look at the Cloth Sekirei fly off before making her way back inside. Though she felt the same way that Uzume did, she could not yet act on her feelings.  
"Soon," she told herself, placing a hand on her heart full of the tell-tale heat of a Sekirei. "Soon."

~-~-~-~

At a construction site, a group of over thirty or so Yakuza are gathered together in the empty lot. Just above them, hanging from a steel girder, is the old lady from the tea house. Some of the men, nervous of what they are to do, whisper amongst one another about what had transpired a few days ago when some of their own fought Ken. Their chatter is quickly silenced by their leader, the same man whose eye was taken by Ken - now sporting a new eye-patch.  
The group fell to dead silence when Ken and the old man arrived to the construction site.

"I've brought him like you asked, now please let my wife go!" The old man yelled.  
The Yakuza leader snaps his fingers and motions towards the old man and Kenshiro. Two men ran to a length of chain wrapped around a metal peg on the ground, hurrying to unfasten it at the behest of their boss.  
Landing hard on the ground, the old lady fell to her knees for a moment while men undid the chains around her. Yanking her to her feet, they pushed her towards her would-be rescuers.  
As the woman hobbled towards her husband, reaching the halfway point, the sound of gunfire filled the air. Wide-eyed, the poor woman fell to her knees once more, falling to her side with a look of shock.  
"No!" The old man cried, scrambling to get to his wife. Kenshiro moved quickly to bar the Yakuza from the old couple, shielding them from further assault by the treacherous Kuroryu.

"No..." the old man cried, cradling his wife's head in his arms, trying in vain to stymie the wound as he held her. The woman smiled kindly to her husband, placing a hand on his arm reassuringly.  
"Dear..." She spoke softly, "it's alright. I'm not afraid to die." One of his tears fell and touched one of her cheeks. "I've already had the best times of my life while I was married to you, I have no regrets."  
She looked past her husband's mourning face to Kenshiro.  
"Don't beat yourself up over this Kenshiro; you and I both know that they would have killed me whether you would have come or not." Kenshiro could only stare at her with a crestfallen look. His hands twitched, the unabashed guilt gnawing at his insides. He was stronger, faster than anyone here. He could have stopped this from happening. Her words were little comfort, true though they were.

"Kenshiro," she called, returning his attention to her. Her breaths came in ragged gasps now. She did not have long. "I'm happy to have met the successor to Hokuto Shinken before passing." Her kind smile in the face of death touched his soul. "Promise me Kenshiro," her eyes took on a look of iron determination. "Promise me you'll take care of those girls; they don't realize what's really out there."  
Ken turned to look at her directly, a look of steel overtaking his features.  
"I promise on my very soul. I will not fail you."  
The woman smiled a soft smile, gently squeezing her husband's hand one last time, before her body relaxed, and her final breath escaped her lungs. Her husband's wail of anguish filled the quiet air as he bent over his deceased wife, clutching her tightly to him in vain.

Slowly getting to his feet, legs trembling, the old man rushes past Kenshiro, swinging at the closest gangster. Side-stepping the man, the Yakuza whacks him across the head with a baseball bat, knocking him unconscious. A small trail of blood marred the wood of the man's bat.

Only Kenshiro stood before the group of suit-wearing brigands. Taking a few steps forward, past the remains of the woman, past the unconscious form of the old man, he stopped short a few paces from them.  
The Kuroryu lieutenant, leaning against an oil drum, pulled out a cigarette and let one of his henchmen light it for him. Taking a long drag, savoring the flavor before blowing out the smoke, he smiled a wicked grin at Ken.

"I'll be honest with you, we were actually keeping tabs on you to see if you had any friends, relatives, even contacts in the area." He took another drag, flicking the ashes in the wind.  
"You know, I would have much rather have gotten my hands on those two nice girls that hang around you all the time - for obvious reasons," he said offhandedly, which made his men chuckle, "but those two were good enough to lure you out I suppose."

"Hokuto Shinken exists to destroy scum like you." Kenshiro cracks his knuckles deliberately. "I will not stop until I've killed every last one of you."  
Some of the men try to quickly surround him so they can attack him in close quarters, but Ken strikes them all with a whirling double-kick in mid-air, decapitating them in rapid succession. It was a secret technique from the Nanto White Heron Fist.  
Kenshiro's body is sprayed with the blood of the initial attackers, the sight causing the rest of the group - a good twenty men, - to lose the stomach for battle.

Some of the men, fearing for their lives, attempt to lips past Ken, only to find him standing before them in the blink of an eye. With rapid strikes to the face and chest, he makes them twist grotesquely before exploding in a shower of gore.

The lieutenant, as well as his close personal guard, attempt to fire their guns at him. Ken's movements were uncanny as he twisted his body and moved fluidly, the bullets striking at places where he was only half a second before. He weaved through the gunfire like a phantom.  
Passing by the stunned gunmen, Ken struck them with the tips of his fingers similar to dragging your hands through water. The paralyzed gangsters fell apart into sliced viscera mere seconds after Ken moved past them. It was a technique from the Nanto Waterfowl Fist.  
The majority of the Kuroryu forces were a bloody mess on the concrete, for the most part unrecognizable. With a swift kick to the neck, he forces one of the two bodyguards to shoot his counterpart through muscle-manipulation before succumbing to Hokuto Hagan Ken, - or Hokuto Face Breaking Fist, smashing his face and skull into itself.

In a fit of panic, the lieutenant tried to fire his pistol to no avail. He had already wasted all of his ammunition. Yanking the spent weapon from his hands, Ken smashed it in his fist with a mighty grip, tossing the remains at the man's feet.  
Before the Yakuza could react, Kenshiro struck his temples with his thumbs.  
"I've struck the pressure point Shigo. Once I remove my thumbs you will only have ten seconds to live. Use them to pray to someone for forgiveness; I will give you none."  
"What's... what's happening to me...?" the lieutenant managed to stutter before rupturing down the middle in a blossom of blood and death.

The blood rush of adrenaline coursing through Ken made his senses acute, giving him a feel for his surroundings in near superhuman detail.  
Through the diminishing haze of battle, he could sense the sakki of multiple individuals a few blocks away and closing in on his current location.  
If these were reinforcements for the Yakuza, then he would need to eliminate them before they arrived.

~-~-~-~

"This is just great." Uzume muttered under her breath, glancing back towards her pursuers all the while leaping across roof tops. She had hoped that she wouldn't have garnered the attention of any winged Sekirei, but of course things couldn't just go her way for once. To top it all off, she wasn't sure what was happening to Ken; for all she knew, he could be face first down on the concrete, bleeding out.

Steeling herself, Uzume picked up the pace. She had to try and at least put some distance between herself and these Sekirei if she wanted any chance to save her Ashikabi.  
Her cheeks flushed even then, as she was being pursued, at the thought of calling him her Ashikabi.

Uzume instinctively leaped back and to the side as a pair of disc-like blades dug into the concrete where her feet had been just a mere second ago.  
Before her stood another Sekirei she hadn't seen with the others; most likely she had gone ahead in order to cut her off. The trio spread out in order to surround her.

"Number 101, Oriha!" the girl who had cut off her escape declared. The girl was shorter than she was, her short purple hair adorned with a mauve ribbon. She wore a dress that reminded her of Snow White. Multiple purple discs floated lazily around her.

"86... Katsuragi." The girl who spoke in a melancholic tone was taller, with short orange hair and purplish eyes.  
The form-fitting yellow body suit she wore reminded Uzume of a famous martial arts actor she had seen in some movies.

"Ichiya. 18." said the third Sekirei. Her short-cropped black hair and jester-like attire of alternating yellow and purple made for a weird sight, but her confident stature and long legs told Uzume that this one wasn't one to mess with, not when she was outnumbered three to one.

If she was ever to join Ken, she would have to give it her all in this fight, otherwise she'll be out of the game and will have never so much as gotten to touch her Ashikabi.  
Gripping her folds of cloth tightly, she declared herself to her attackers.  
"Number 10. Uzume."

A mere few seconds after the introductions were over with, they all burst into action.  
Oriha urged her weapons forward, slicing through the air as they bore down on their target. Uzume lashed out with thick folds of white cloth, the strips smashing the weapons out of the air before they could make contact.

The attack was enough of a distraction that Uzume barely moved out of the way in time to dodge Katsuragi's dive-kick.  
Ichiya moved to intercept even as Katsuragi dashed forward, the two moving similar to a bola being thrown at a target. Their strikes were either dodged or deflected, but made steady progress as they managed to push Uzume into a corner.

Cutting off her escape route, the duo ran in for a n all-out assault. Their brains could not make heads nor tails of their situation for a moment when they were swept up by their legs and flipped upside down. Uzume's cloth gripped the two of them tightly, coiling to toss them violently, when the tell-tale hiss of blades whistled past Uzume's ears.

The cloth Sekirei narrowly dodged a potentially fatal blow, sensing the sting of a fresh cut on her exposed shoulder. The blades cut through the bonds holding her two opponents, the tension sending Uzume staggering back for a moment. That moment was all the trio needed as Ichiya struck Uzume violently from behind.

Falling to her knees, Uzume managed to strike Katsuragi at the knees before she could deliver a blow of her own, but it only resulted in Ichiya sending the heel of her boot down on Uzume's back.  
Scrambling for the breath that escaped her lungs, the cloth Sekirei looked up at the floating discs nary an inch from her face, a silent warning should she try anything.

"Now," Ichiya purred, "let's get you to Higa-sama." With a flick of her hand, she gestured for Katsuragi to grab hold of Uzume.  
Though she didn't know who this Higa was, she knew what it meant. An Ashikabi who forced Sekirei under his will, so that they could gain more power.

Something caught Uzume's attention when she noticed that none of the other Sekirei were moving.

Standing atop the ventilation shaft that Oriha had been perched upon, holding her by the scruff of her collar with one hand, was a bloodied mess of a man. Bits of gore stuck to him at spots, giving him a fatally grim appearance. It took a moment's breadth for Uzume to realize who it was, the moment of recognition coming to her when she noticed the rare quality of his eyes.

"Kenshiro?" she whispered under her breath.  
The man tossed Oriha to Ichiya, the older Sekirei catching her cohort with one arm.  
"You should leave now." His eyes narrowed dangerously when his raptor's glare settled on Ichiya. "I have no patience for your games."

The intimidating sight was enough for Ichiya to fall back, motioning for Katsuragi to do the same.  
Before Katsu could move, Uzume sent her flying back with a heavy elbow to her middle, giving her the opportunity to escape capture.

As the two took a step towards Uzume, Ken leaped down from his perch, easily transitioning into his fighting stance.

"I have already taken someone's life; do not force me to take yours."

"Tch. Let's head back. This sortie was a failure." Ichiya drawled, draping Oriha over her shoulder before departing across the rood tops, Katsuragi not far behind.

"Are you hurt?" Kenshiro asked. Uzume touched the cut on her shoulder; it had already stopped bleeding.

"I'm fine." she replied. "You didn't have to step in, you know." The silent, stoney look he ave her told her he thought otherwise.  
"Thanks though." She stuck her tongue out in playful apology.

"Where's the old guy?" Uzume asked, moving towards him. Ken glanced at her for but a second before moving towards the corner of the roof. She took notice that he wasn't in any hurry. For some reason, that made her uneasy.

The weird feeling in the put of her stomach proved true when she came upon the aftermath of Kenshiro's confrontation.  
Her senses were overwhelmed by the bodies strewn about the place where the battle happened. Men were horribly disfigured, or worse. She had never seen anything like it.  
Her hand instinctively pressed against her heart when she felt a sharp pang of sorrow. She had never felt Ken so strongly before now; she reasoned that it was due to her proximity to him.

Kenshiro walked over to another body, being careful as he lifted the man with gentle care. Moving towards Uzume, he held the limp body of the old man out to her.  
"Please..." he implored. Without hesitation, Uzume took over carrying the old man. A quick look-over told her that he had been hit pretty hard in the head.

"Poor Oji-chan..." she muttered, staring at his unconscious form. Looking up, Uzume's eyes widened at the lifeless body Kenshiro was carrying. She could already tell, without getting a closer look, who it was. She couldn't swallow past the lump in her throat.

"Why would they do something like this to a poor old woman?" Uzume asked, more to herself than to Ken.  
"Men like these are cruel and heartless. They hold no value in the lives of others." He looked directly into Uzume's eyes. The penetrating gaze felt as though he was staring at her soul.  
"I was a fool, and it cost this good woman her life today."  
They stood in silence for a moment before he beckoned her to follow him.

"What now?" Uzume asked, after a moment of silence had passed.  
"The hospital." was the only thing he said.  
"Good," Uzume sighed, "maybe you can get yourself patched up. You look like a mess."  
"I am not injured."  
"But... the blood..."  
"It is theirs, not mine."  
Uzume hid her in-credulousness well; for him to have killed so many of these guys and come out of it unscathed? She hoped he wasn't putting on a brave face.

Uzume stole one last glance at the surrounding carnage, attempting to imagine how it could have all happened, before catching up to Kenshiro.  
She hoped that they weren't too late to at least save the Oji-chan.

~-~-~-~

From within a secure room, deep within the confines of the MBI headquarters, a young woman gazed intently at a computer monitor, the pale light giving her already white skin a pallid glow.

The gray-haired woman ran her tongue over her teeth, akin to the way a starving animal salivates over a tempting meal.  
After having leaned forward to look closely at all the details, she finally reclined in her chair, an impish grin growing on her face as she watched Kenshiro and the other person walk away from the carnage.

"Very good..." she mused, "not afraid to kill someone; I like that."  
Her eyes flashed dangerously when she remembered the night before, when he came out of nowhere.  
Her hand absentmindedly went to rest on the pommel of her sword, only to find it absent. It wouldn't take much longer for her to get another, but she felt something was amiss when she was without a weapon at her side.  
Smiling a predator's smile, Karasuba stood up fluidly, heading out for some fresh air.  
She had seen what she had wished to see and more.

~-~-~-~

"What the...?" was the first thing they heard when they entered the front entrance to the hospital. Heads turned at the strange sight now before them. People could only stare as Kenshiro and Uzume walked through the halls, trailing behind a stretcher carrying the old man.

Their arrival had sent the doctors into a flurry of activity. Not only was there a death on their hands - figuratively speaking, - but they had another close to the grim reaper's door step.  
The doctors and nurses brought the old man into the emergency room, the blow to his head possibly creating complications. Kenshiro and Uzume were asked to wait outside of the ER, as well that someone would bring them to a room so that Ken could be cleaned and examined.

Uzume had gotten a chance to slip into her regular street clothes before going to the hospital, her strange get-up not exactly something that would have gone well here.  
Kenshiro stepped out of the bathroom, toweling off his arms before setting the cloth aside. Getting the dried blood off of him had proven a bit of a challenge.

A nurse carefully opened the door and poked her head in.  
"They've done what they can," she told them in hushed tones. "He's resting in the second to last room down the hall; you can come visit him now."  
Once they had excused themselves from the room, the two solemnly made their way down the hall. They stood at the door for a few seconds longer, worried over this man's fate.

The old man's room was silent save for the muffled rustling of the trees near the window and the sound of people going about their business outside in the hallway. The room was sparse, the only thing that garnered peoples' attention being the sleeping form in the bed.  
Moving to stand beside him, Kenshiro gently laid his hand upon the old man's arm. Uzume stood close to his side, a look of pained concern having overtaken her features.

"If only Toki were alive..." Kenshiro muttered, shaking his head. "I do not possess the knowledge of healing that he did."  
Kenshiro raked his fingers through his hair, eyes squeezed shut for a moment before looking at Uzume.  
"I do not even know their names."

Uzume squeezed his arm comfortingly. She didn't want to see him like this.  
"You're talking as though he's already dead; don't do this to yourself, to them." The sound of genuine concern from Uzume surprised Kenshiro. For someone whom he had just recently met to show him such compassion was unprecedented.

A small faint groan escaped the old man's lips, bringing their attention to him.  
It looked to be an effort just for him to open his eyes. His eyes were bleary and ringed with red from recent tears, his features pale and sullen.  
The weakest of smiles grew on his lips at recognizing Ken. He moved a trembling hand onto Ken's forearm, patting it gently.

"You're a good man," he whispered through his cracked voice, "better than most."  
"Were I truly a good man, I would have been able to save your wife."Kenshiro bowed his head towards him. "I have failed you both."  
"Nonsense." the old man spoke with more purpose. You did what you could, and that's more than can be said about most people.

He let out a tired sigh, his head sinking into his pillow.  
"I knew that one day we'd be parted. We both had a feeling that her past coming back to haunt her would be the cause." He turned his gaze back to Kenshiro.  
"Somehow, I believe my wife was expecting someone like you."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Just a feeling. Ever since she and I left our hometown to live here, away from all the business with Hokuto and Nanto, she always kept an eye out, now I know that it was for you."  
Kenshiro ran a finger down his jawline, deep in thought. Things felt as though they were just about to snap into place, to make sense. There were still missing pieces, but hopefully he would be able to uncover them soon.

"I don't know whatever it is you're here to do, Kenshiro, but I hope you succeed." The old man patted Ken's hand. "Hokuto always seems to be entwined in the important matters of the world."  
"Is there anything else you can tell me? What of Hokuto and Nanto?"  
The man could only shake his head.  
"I am sorry, my wife was a hand servant of Hokuto, I didn't know what went on inside their clans."  
They sat in silence for a time before he spoke again.  
"Will you do a foolish old man one more favor?"  
"Of course."  
The old man sat up, grunting with the effort of even so small a thing.  
"I want you to send me to be with my wife."

Both Kenshiro and Uzume stood in mute shock.  
"Why would you throw your life away like this?" Uzume asked.  
"Why? Because I'm tired. Because I'm old. Because I just witnessed the only thing that kept me alive all this time die in front of me!"  
He began a coughing fit that took some time and some water to calm down.  
"Even if I had anything to live for," he continued, the weariness heavily set in his voice, "I might have a few more years left in me. I'd wallow in my own misery for a few years before probably dying alone. Do you think I want that? Would you?"  
Uzume looked away, absently rubbing her left arm.  
"I... I suppose not."

"Please," the old man implored, "you would be doing me a huge service. This is something I want."  
Kenshiro stood silently for a time, evaluating the old man with his gaze, until he finally nodded. Uzume looked shocked.  
"Ken, you can't be serious!"

"It is his will." was all that Ken said, positioning the old man so that he was sitting with his back facing him.  
"It's funny," the old man mused, "my wife was a devout servant of your clan and she died just like anyone else... while I'm just a regular schmuck she fell in love with, and I get to be sent beyond by the master himself." He chuckled, though the laughter held no mirth.

Before doing anything else, Ken looked up at Uzume.  
"You do not have to witness this. I am willing to bear the pain for you." Ken's words were as genuine as they get, Uzume could tell, but she wouldn't let the man she was destined to be with take all of this heart-ache onto himself. Moving to stand beside the old man, Uzume took on of his hands into her own. In spite of what was about to transpire, she gave him the best smile that she could muster.

"Thank you my dear," he whispered, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Just make sure that you treat him right, you hear?" Uzume nodded in agreement.  
His body stiffened a little at the sensation of Ken's fingertips touching certain points on his back. By their positioning, he could feel that they were set in the same position as the big dipper.  
"You would honor me so, even though I'm not of Hokuto descent?" the old man asked, a tear rolling down his weathered face.

"Blood makes no difference; it is your heart that makes you a man of Hokuto."

The old man took in a deep breath, calming himself.  
"Hayane."  
Uzume blinked. "What?"  
"My wife's name was Hayane; mine is Kansaki. Even though we only knew each other for so small an amount of time, you ought to at least have our names." Kenshiro steadied his breathing for what was to come.  
"Farewell, Kansaki-san. Be with Hayane forever in the afterlife."  
His fingertips pressed the seven pressure points in Kansaki's back. Kansaki's eyes closed peacefully, a smile still on his lips even now as his body was slumped over. Ken gently laid his body to rest comfortably on the bed, while Uzume uneasily got to her feet.

They stood in quiet mourning, watching over the still form of a man they had just begun to know.

~-~-~-~

It had been a few hours, some paperwork and a slew of questions before Kenshiro and Uzume could make their way towards the exit of the hospital. A small amount of relief washed over them, knowing that Hayane-san and Kansaki-san's remains would be cared for with the utmost respect.

Uzume was deep in thought, the rush of things happening all at once jumbling up inside her head. She wanted to get everything sorted out before she did anything else. Everything from her recent dreams, to meeting Ken the previous day, to this trouble with the local gangs and now the deaths of two people Kenshiro had known.  
Uzume's mind felt a little more at ease after straightening everything out in her head, but the main point of her chasing after Ken still remained.

The main focus was for her to have made him her Ashikabi, but in all the excitement she had forgotten all about it. It felt a little selfish of her to be thinking of something like that so soon after what had just happened.  
Shaking her head - along with all the negativity, - Uzume decided that helping Ken cheer up, maybe actually crack a smile, would be her best course of action right now.

"Hey, Ken," Uzume began to say, but stopped walking when she realized that Ken had stopped moving and was standing at the doorway of a patient's room.

"What's up?" she asked, walking over to see what had caught his attention. Looking inside, Uzume saw that the patient in this room was a young girl sitting up in her bed, looking outside.  
Before she could say anything, Ken had already started moving towards the girl. Uncertain as to what he was going to do or whether she ought to follow, Uzume stood in the doorway to observe. The girl turned at the sound of someone approaching.  
Whereas most people would have been surprised, perhaps even afraid at seeing someone akin to Ken's demeanor approaching, the girl simply smiled. Her face brightened at the sight of someone coming to see her.

"Hello. Who might you be?" Her disposition was cheerful for someone who appeared bed-ridden.  
"Kenshiro." He gestured to the woman standing at the doorway.  
"She is my friend, Uzume." Uzume inwardly felt annoyed at being called 'friend' and not 'girlfriend', but wasn't going to contest it when she hadn't even begun to lay her claim as one of his Sekirei.  
"Yo!" Uzume called cheerfully, not wanting to dampen the mood.

"Hello." the young girl replied. She appeared a little perplexed. Kenshiro knelt down beside her bed so as to be closer to her. The young girl's cheeks flushed. She thought Kenshiro-san was the most handsome man she had ever seen. She had to look away every now and then so it wouldn't seem as though she was just gawking at him.  
"What is your name?" Kenshiro asked. The question nearly made the girl jump.  
"Ah... I'm Hidaka Chiho-san."  
"Chiho-san." Kenshiro repeated. Hearing him call her by her first name made Chiho's cheeks flush an even deeper shade of crimson. Seeing the color come to her face so quickly, Ken smiled softly, gently tussling Chiho's hair.  
Uzume couldn't help but feel the slightest bit jealous at the amount of attention that he was giving to Chiho. Then again, it was a nice change to see Kenshiro like this, with what had happened.  
She wasn't sure why he was here visiting this girl though.

"Are you sick?" Kenshiro asked. Chiho shook her head, pulling a long lock of golden air back behind an ear.  
"I've had this disease since I was very little; I can't walk or do anything because of it." She smiled at Kenshiro, though it was a sad smile of acceptance rather than one of cheerfulness.

"It's hard, suffering on your own." Kenshiro muttered, garnering a confused look from Chiho.  
"I couldn't help someone else who needed me today," he continued, "but I can still help you."  
"Huh?" was all that Chiho could say before Kenshiro's hands were at the sides of her head. Her surprise became panic when she felt his fingertips pressing into points just below the back of her ears.

A hot sensation rushed throughout her entire body. She could feel the air being pulled into her lungs, the blood pumping into her legs, the distinct feel of the soft sheets on her skin as well as the warmth of Ken's hands.  
Her senses had become acute for a breadth of a second, feeling, seeing, hearing, smelling. Beads of sweat formed on her brow and neck, as though she had just run a lap around the hospital.  
Kenshiro stood up, holding out a hand to Chiho.

Carefully, tentatively, Chiho took Ken's hand. He gently pulled the young girl out of her bed, forcing her to try and stand on her own two feet.  
The thought of collapsing due to her illness put Chiho on edge, but the feeling of her legs holding her up with her own strength shocked her. Chiho sucked in a gasp, her legs trembling from not being used to certain muscles getting strained in some time.

Chiho looked up at Ken, tears welling up in her eyes. Ken placed a finger softly on her lips, hushing her.  
"Your body has awakened and is destroying the illness within you." Kenshiro explained, "You will need hearty food and some rest in order for your body to finish off what has confined you in this white prison for so long." Ken placed a hand on her cheek. "You must remain strong, so that you may reclaim your life. I have done what I can, the rest is up to you."

As Ken removed his hand from Chiho's face and moved towards the door, he felt slender arms wrap tightly around his waist. Clinging to Ken tightly, Chiho whispered a most heartfelt "thank you".

~-~-~-~

Kenshiro and Uzume walked quietly for a time down a series of hallways, heading towards the first floor lobby. She had thought at first that Ken was emotionally withdrawn, or maybe just shy. Having been at his side today showed her a bit more of the depth of who Ken is.  
Uzume's chest heated with that familiar sensation as she came to her conclusion of how she felt.

Reaching out, Uzume grabbed a handful of Ken's shirt, stopping him from continuing without her. He turned to look at her, taking her hand from his back and pulling her closer to him.  
She wasn't expecting to be this close to him so quickly; being close up like this now was different than before. Her cheeks flushed from the heat, her breath coming in shallow breaths as her hand went to her chest. It had come in full force so quickly that she hadn't prepared herself for it.

The feeling of Ken's hand pressing against her temple assuaged the intense reaction to her Ashikabi. Steadying herself with a deep breath, Uzume looked up at Ken. He was simply watching her, waiting. Despite how she must have looked for a moment there, he didn't react like a pervert or freak out. He instead helped calm her. Uzume smiled; she liked the calm, quiet demeanor about him. Although, she was hoping to see if he at least an inkling of a wilder side beneath his still exterior; there was only one way for her to find out.

Slipping her arms around his waist, Uzume pressed her impressive bust against his chest, her legs rubbing against his when she moved up against him. He felt comfortable, like hugging a teddy bear. She breathed in deep when she buried her face in his chest. Looking up at Ken to see his reaction, Uzume grinned at his slightly confused face. She imagined that anyone would be a little weirded out by getting hugs all of a sudden from a girl they had just met the day prior.

"Hey," Uzume said in a breathy voice, her cheeks gaining a rosy color. "Are you gonna leave me hanging here? Or are you gonna kiss me already?"  
Kenshiro breathed in a quiet sigh. He could not get accustomed to this kind of attention no matter who gave it or how many times it happened to him.  
"You won't reconsider this decision?" he asked.  
Uzume's smile grew wider, if a little lecherous.  
"I'm not letting you go that easily."

Once he had taken a steadying breath, Ken leaned towards Uzume, shutting his eyes as he closed the gap between their faces. Uzume wasted no time and stood on her tiptoes in order to press her lips firmly upon his, her arms tightening around his waist as the elation of being winged coursed through her very being. Pristine white wings erupted from Uzume's back, the individual pieces making up the shape of the wings resembling sheets of white cloth.  
Uzume reluctantly pulled away from the kiss, her tongue still partially hanging from the exhilaration. Catching her breath and slipper her hands onto her Ashikabi's chest, Uzume beamed.  
"No. 10, Uzume is yours; now and forever."

~-~-~-~

"You know, you're a surprisingly mellow guy." Uzume remarked, placing her hand on his shoulder, then stuck her tongue out playfully.  
"Man, Toyo'd be pretty jealous by now if she'd seen that."  
"I do believe I would." came a voice behind her. Uzume jumped at the sound, looking back to see both Toyotama and Akitsu standing a few feet behind them.

"Uh, how long were the two of you...?" Uzume asked. Akitsu tilted her head slightly to the side in an almost innocent manner.  
"Hmm, long enough to see you getting quite comfortable with Kenshiro-sama." There was an undertone in Akitsu's voice that disturbingly reminded her of Miya-san. Uzume shuddered at the thought of having another Miya in Izumo House.

"You're even starting to sound like her." Toyotama muttered, shaking her head. "Setting that aside, we tried to find the two of you after hearing about some sort of commotion with street thugs." She looked to Ken. "Was it the same guys as the first time we met?"  
Kenshiro nodded solemnly.  
"I did not let them walk away."

Though he didn't say it plainly for all to hear, Toyotama knew exactly what he meant. After what she had learned about her mysterious Ashikabi, she wasn't all that surprised at this outcome. Knowing how dangerous her Ashikabi could be in battle made her burn up inside with longing.

"What happened to the person you went with, Kenshiro-sama?" It was Akitsu who spoke this time. By the quick pained look that had flashed across Kenshiro's face, she immediately regretted asking him.  
Walking over to him, Akitsu wrapped her arms around his left arm in a comforting manner.  
"I am sorry that it turned out this way." Though she spoke in her quiet, monotone voice, there was a strong sincere emotion that pushed through to him. Ken could feel her sincerity, touching her hand with the back of his in a quiet show of appreciation.

Not wanting to be left out, Toyo brazenly pressed her ample chest against Kenshiro's free arm, wrapping an arm around it and putting her free hand on his chest.  
"You didn't forget about your first Sekirei now, did you?" She purred, leaning a little into him.  
"You shouldn't all cling so much, someone might see us." Ken admonished them under his breath. Uzume chuckled as she pressed herself closer against his chest.  
"Nothing wrong with seeing a perfectly chiseled man-" Uzume ran a hand down Ken's middle, "-and three beautiful girls clinging to him. If they said anything people would just think they were jealous or something anyway."

Kenshiro could only sigh in defeat, but perked up his senses when he noticed something at the end of the hallway.  
"Those two are from earlier today." He informed the girls, tilting his head slightly in their direction. The three Sekirei looked at the new point of interest, seeing Katsuragi and Ichiya flanking a blonde-haired man in a suit.

Uzume slipped away from Ken as she scrutinized the three from afar.  
"No doubt about it, that's the girls who tried to drag me to their Ashikabi like some sort of prize." Uzume turned her glare into a grin. "Betcha they regretted coming back empty-handed."  
Toyotama narrowed her eyes as she inspected the man that they were speaking to.  
"If that guy really is their Ashikabi, then it would make a lot of sense."

The rest of the group turned to look at Toyo, who shrugged nonchalantly.  
"It fits perfectly; those two belong to Higa Izumi, an Ashikabi who forces himself on Sekirei to make his own private little army, even going as far as blackmailing other Ashikabi to do his dirty work for him." She glared at their direction. "I heard that Higa was the director of this hospital, seeing him here now proves that information to be correct."

They stood to the side, keeping an eye on the three at the other end of the hall. Higa looked to be giving instructions to his Sekirei, who replied with questions - as far as they could guess, - before leaving their Ashikabi.  
Higa looked at his phone for a moment before walking off, towards the western wing by the direction that he had taken. They were quiet for a moment before Kenshiro separated himself from his Sekirei. Before moving away from them, Ken placed a hand on Uzume's shoulder.

"All of you wait for me at the front court-yard. I won't be long."  
Uzume looked genuinely worried. Both Akitsu and Toyotama shared a look.  
"What are you going to do, Ken-chan?" Uzume asked. Instead of answering, Kenshiro simply smiled for her, and walked off towards the other end of the hallway. As they made their way towards the front court-yard to wait for their Ashikabi, they could feel the eerie calm that had settled in his heart. It was both tranquil and frightening at once.

~-~-~-~

Higa let out an exasperated sigh. His plans always had a habit of getting a hitch somewhere down the line. The Sekirei he had sent out searching for new additions to his group had come up empty handed, spouting nonsense about a man covered in blood towering over them.  
He ran a finger down the line of his jaw in thought. Oriha was unconscious when they had returned, so perhaps they had met more Sekirei than anticipated.  
The fact that he missed his chance at winging No. 10 still stung freshly. Having the closest thing to a single number would have given him an edge over the other participants of the Sekirei game, and now that plan was trashed. He would have to think of something else.

Higa snapped out of his brooding to look around him. There wasn't a single other soul in the hallway besides him, and it was very quiet. Normally nurses or patients would be traveling the halls, and you could hear the sound of activity coming from other areas further down the corridors.

A cold chill ran up his spine, as though something had just brushed up against him. He turned quickly, but found nothing. A drop of cold sweat beaded upon his brow.  
"I must really be stressed out if I'm imagining things." He muttered, chuckling to himself.  
The sound of his footsteps on the floor echoed in his ears throughout his silent trek through the hallway. Reaching the door to the western wing, he paused. It felt strange, as though his motor functions had slowed down to a crawl.  
Attempting to push the door proved fruitless, and moving his legs even more so. Higa began to panic. Glancing up to his reflection in the door's glass pane, he now knew why.  
Someone was standing behind him.

The individual was a man. Tall, with a grim expression on his face. He was still as death, and just as silent. His face and stature was familiar in his mind, but he couldn't quite place it. Recognition dawned upon him. This was the man his Sekirei had told him about.

"Higa Izumi?" The man asked. He had a deep commanding voice. Higa could barely work his mouth due to whatever affliction had currently stricken him.  
"Yes..."  
Higa gasped as sharp jagged pain inundated his chest. His legs felt as though they would cave from the pressure in his lungs. Every breath brought in fire and needles. Though he could move again, it was a bittersweet victory. Looking down, pinprick red stains gradually grew upon his chest, in a weird seven pointed shape.  
Feeling his legs finally giving out, he fell on his knees. Turning to look behind him, he only saw the back of the man as he walked away.  
"What are... who?" was all that Higa could mutter at the figure. The man stopped walking, and turned. His eyes had a frightening quality to them. Even from this distance he could tell the murderous intent in this man's eyes. The words he spoke then were the last he heard before collapsing onto the floor.

"You are already dead."

~-~-~-~

This chapter had more of a seriousness to it, and definitely more action. I refuse to diminish the power of Kenshiro. The amount of hardships that he's been through has earned him the strength he now possesses. Though some might find a problem with this when it comes to the Sekirei in comparison, I would like those of you who think so to reserve judgement on that subject until later on in the story, as this will have less of an impact between Hokuto and Sekirei.

Although I don't do this often, I am hoping to direct the upcoming chapter more towards slice-of-life or lightheartedness than seriousness for the time being, primarily to give you a break and for myself to write something a little more jovial.

As always, thanks for reading, and don't forget to leave a review as I read and reply to any and all that I can.


	7. Chapter 7 A Day In The Life

My apologies for this chapter taking longer, it had more things in it that I wanted to add last-minute, and so it took longer. Luckily I finished it before I felt like I was lagging, so there is that.

9000 views as of the uploading of this chapter. Wow. I am grateful for the attention that this story is getting, and I love seeing reviews pop up every now and then. Reading them and replying to them are some of my favorite things to do on here, so keep them coming.

I neither own Hokuto no Ken nor do I own Sekirei.

* * *

Chapter 7: A Day In The Life

* * *

It was raining. It had been raining for some time now. Funny that such a rare and fortuitous happening would be so unwanted.  
Ken and Yuria had been riding north for quite some time, always north. Koku-oh was their only companion, the great black stallion silently carrying his charge without complaint.  
Ken gently brushed a damp lock of hair from her face.

"Yuria, are you alright?"  
The red-haired Nanto General of Motherly Compassion smiled softly, resting her head against her lover's chest.  
"I'm fine."

The scent of smoke crept its way towards them, a silent herald of the person who made their way towards the couple. As he stumbled along the road at a staggered run, the fresh wounds and blood gave a stark vision of what they would soon come upon.  
Seeing someone on horse-back, the wounded villager called out to Ken and Yuria.  
"Help! Bandits are attacking our village!"

At the besieged village, chaos reigned. Giants among men, the bestial gleam that only a person with no regard for human life could possess, toyed with their helpless victims, wrenching their necks and cutting them open.  
One particular thug brandishing a heavy maul swung hard at the wall of a smaller building, exposing the supplies within.  
"Take all the food!" he cried, "Kill anyone who dares oppose us!"  
Some of the larger men took to the task, lugging entire crates over their shoulders.

Kenshiro approached the one wielding the hammer, walking methodically towards him. He held a menacing aura about himself the closer he got to his prey.

"Stop it." The words were like gravel being churned in Ken's throat, the weather and long stretches of quiet having worn out his voice.  
The men surrounded Ken, the hammer-wielder briskly walking up to him.  
"What did you say!? Who the hell are you!?" He accentuated his words by sticking his maul out with one hand as though it was an accusing finger.  
With a flick of a finger, Ken sent the weighed head of the stout maul hurtling in a high arc straight into its wielder's own face, burying itself quite deep.  
Another of the bandits, gripping a long knife in his right hand, lunged at Kenshiro only to find his face hurtling towards a wall as Ken pushed his head into it, dragging the quickly bloodying face along the surface of the stone before letting the imbecile drop lifelessly onto the cold, wet ground.

As the bandits began pressing around Ken in a tight circle, the man of Hokuto raised but one finger. Not understanding who he was, or the significance of the gesture, the clueless bandits pressed on. Suddenly they were being systematically struck in vital pressure points by the raised finger, paralyzing the lot of them as Ken swept through the lot of them just as the cold wind blowing during that rainy day.  
In a matter of seconds the bandits were frozen in awkward poses of mid-stride or mid-swing. Walking up to the designated leader of the bandits, Ken gently pushed the paralyzed gang-leader over, the man splitting into a bloody mess the moment he struck the muddy ground. As if on cue, the remaining bandits died in turn, twisting and ripping into horrific bloody remains.  
The villagers, who only moments ago would have suffered a similar fate, looked on in shock and awe.

The sound of a motorcycle grew in intensity, until people could finally see someone racing towards the village. Skidding to a stop just before the scene of carnage, the rider dismounted, looking at the grisly aftermath before him.

"Lord Shouki!" came the call from one of the villagers. The red-haired man turned at the call, seeing the villager running towards him.  
"Lord Shouki, that man killed all the bandits on his own." The villager pointed off to the side, at the man and woman standing before a great black horse. The woman looked ill, the man's concerned expression granting him silent confirmation.

"I am the village leader, Shouki." The red-haired man approached the couple. "I want to thank you..."  
"No. We were just passing through." Ken interrupted.  
"You're on a journey?"  
"We must find a place to settle down."  
Yuria began to cough, each cough racking her already tired lungs. Ken draped a cloak around her, putting his arm over her shoulders.  
"Yuria..."

"Is she ill?" Shouki inquired. Ken could only nod.  
"Then I shall repay your kindness. We have water and vegetation here. Live here if you like." The red-haired warrior smiled. "I have many enemies... I hide out here from time to time."  
"My name... you won't ask?"  
Shouki grinned. "It's better that way. I don't want to have to fight you." His gaze turned to Yuria. "I take it she won't live long. I can't have her keep traveling."

Shouki made his way back to his motorcycle.  
"I must leave now. Farewell." Before mounting his vehicle, he looked back at them.  
"Yuria, enjoy your stay with him." Climbing onto his motorcycle, Shouki chuckled to himself.  
"Haha, doing a good deed feels good!" Dust was left in the wake of his departure.

It was in that village that Yuria died, but the time in which she had spent there, was truly her final time of peace.

* * *

Miya awoke abruptly in her bed, blankly staring at the ceiling for a time. She ran a hand over her tired eyes for a moment before rolling onto her side, staring at the wall that was in the direction of Kenshiro's room. Miya had gotten another dream, which she now believed was a glimpse into his past; so strong was her growing bond to him. She couldn't imagine how being winged by him would affect her were she to take the plunge now.

Miya felt both a flushed elation and a melancholic sadness from her experiences in her dream. She had dreamed that she was this Yuria, traveling with her husband Kenshiro. After saving a village in the only way he could, Ken and she were invited to stay and settle down there. The rest of the dream was a blur, but she could still remember the feeling of being at peace in a private paradise with her love.

Miya places a hand on her chest. She hadn't realized that Kenshiro had lost a wife. They were closer in more ways than she had previously thought. Miya faded back into a peaceful sleep, the faint memory of being held by Ken so lovingly fresh in her mind.

* * *

A familiar sensation of warmth and soft touches were the first tings his mind registered when he awoke. Ken eased himself out of his slumber, his senses carefully reading his surroundings.  
Even now, after having stayed for a few days at Maison Izumo, Kenshiro still had difficulty grasping the feeling of waking up in a safe environment. It had been so long since he had last woken up without having to expect some sort of scavenger or bandit ambush, that the habits were ingrained into his daily life.

The girl known to him now as Ikki had recovered quickly thanks in no small part to his skills in acupressure techniques. She appeared to have calmed down somewhat, believing at first that he was to be her Ashikabi. The feeling had subsided, though she admitted to a warm sensation that was different than the normal reaction to an Ashikabi permeating her body. After making sure that she was well, they had seen her off. She seemed reluctant to leave his side at first glance.

The curtains did well in holding the early morning light at bay, for the room did nothing to harm his eyes when he finally opened them.  
He could already tell that they were asleep once again at his side, as was now the norm, the moment he had awoken.  
Toyotama, arms wrapped around his arm as though it was some sort of beloved stuffed teddy bear. Her shallow breathing was steady, the soft scent of soothing flowers - he had forgotten what most of them were called, - clinging to her neck and chest.  
Akitsu. She had buried her face against his neck, straddling him under the blankets while her arms were clasped loosely around his neck. Her heartbeat and breathing were one slow, steady rhythm. So close to his face, Ken could tell the fresh scent coming from her entirety. It gave him the impression of fresh fallen snow. In some ways, she truly did remind him of the Ice Maidens from old folklore. Yet he had seen how hard she fought against herself to open her closed heart to him. Even now she could not stray far from him for even a night.  
Uzume, whom he had thought would enjoy the privilege of owning her own room, lay sleeping at his left side, her back pressed up against him while she used his free arm as a body pillow.  
She had her arms wrapped around his own quite tightly. He half-believed that she would wrap her legs around his arm if she could have.  
There was a bright perfume in her hair, only partially masking the natural scent from her body. She made no reservations of pressing her ample chest against him, then again he doubted that either of these three appeared to have any sort of hesitation when it came to physical affection.  
It was a strange thing indeed for him to not only witness but to experience first-hand.

Deciding that it was time for him to get out of bed, he begun to gently pry himself from his overly-attached companions. Soft moans escaped their lips as he slid his arms out of their grip and gently laid them back down onto the bed.  
He had gotten himself hallway out of this strange position - Akitsu still clinging to his neck, - when he felt a dangerous emanating from the other side of the door.  
The door slid open to reveal an indignant Miya, though her facial expression hid it well. Her Hannya was out in full force, a wicked gleam in her eyes as she entered the room.

"Oh my," she began, "it seems I haven't made the threat of consequences for breaking the rules severe enough if you all decide to break them so casually."  
Miya finished her not-so-veiled threat with a lilting laugh.  
Uzume was the first to wake up, her dazed expression turning to one of genuine fright when she realized who was standing before them now.

"Ah, crap." she muttered groggily.  
Toyotama awoke due to the commotion, propping herself on an elbow to see what was going on. Her eyes widened ever-so-slightly, her body frozen in place at seeing the land-lady.  
Akitsu, who had apparently been feigning sleep for a time now, quickly got up and hurried out of the room and into her own. Uzume muttered under her breath incredulously, changing to a supplication under her breath as she begged for leniency from Miya.

Once the room was clear of Sekirei - Save for Miya, - Kenshiro left the lingering warmth of the futon, unperturbed by Miya's lingering gaze as he dressed himself in her presence.  
Tugging on his tell-tale red shirt, Ken felt Miya's gentle hands upon his chest. Her hands lingered for a half second before she began to straighten out the wrinkles.

"Ken-san," Miya began, speaking in a kind but authoritative tone, "you really mustn't let them do as they please. You're kind-hearted, but you don't have to let them have their way with you so often." She gave him a warm smile.  
"You can get things your way every once in a while as well, you know."  
Ken nodded solemnly. It was not a matter of letting them do whatever they wanted to him, he simply did not see the hindrance in their actions. It was strange for Miya-san to make such a fuss over such a trivial thing.

* * *

Breakfast had been prepared somewhat early, bringing everyone to eat together. Akitsu once again sat faithfully at her Ashikabi's side, one hand resting on Ken's lap.  
As per the norm, the remaining two Sekirei played Jan Ken Pon in order to see who would win the seat next to Ken. Beating Uzume with scissors, Toyotama took her seat at the table, a silent but triumphant expression on her face, Uzume sighing dejectedly as she sat beside the victor.  
The whole affair was quite entertaining to the other residents of Maison Izumo, namely Kagari and Miya, who found the scene a nice bit of levity at the beginning of the day.

After a peaceful breakfast of eggs, fish, rice and fresh vegetables, Miya began clearing the table.  
"The food was good, but I'll have to head to bed now." Kagari said, rising from the table and heading towards the stairs.  
"Alrighty, see you later then." Uzume replied, giving him a quick wave before laying down on the floor. Akitsu was content to sit beside Ken, her head resting on his shoulder.  
Miya returned from the kitchen, sitting down opposite Ken and his Sekirei.

"Ken-san, what will you be doing to pay rent?" She asked.  
"That's easy, we can use my MBI card." Toyotama explained matter-of-factually. Miya shook her head.  
"Unfortunately I do not accept any money from MBI." She turned to look at Kenshiro. "Do you have a job?" Kenshiro shook his head.  
"I do not." The man of Hokuto looked contemplative for a moment before he spoke again.  
"I will find a suitable job by the end of the day."

* * *

Kenshiro was preparing himself to leave the inn when Toyotama approached him at the front door. She had approached with a definite determination in her motions.  
"Kenshiro, can I get your help with something before you leave? It won't take long."  
He nodded, dusting off his pant leg as he rose from pulling on his shoes. They felt worn-in, as were the pants given to him by Miya-san. Apparently they had once belonged to her now deceased husband. Grateful for her charity, Ken had prayed along-side her at his shrine in the inn, offering a prayer for his peace in the after-life as well as giving thanks for the clothing he now wore. Though he felt as though Miya had found the face that he wished to pray at her husband's shrine surprising, doing so had made her happy. Perhaps she was not used to people paying respects to the dead.

So many had died over the years, so many friends and loved ones. Paying his respects to those who had fallen in battle alongside him as well as against him was something he felt honor-bound to do. In a time of strife and pain, where people should have been banding together instead of slaughtering each other like rabid animals, honoring those who left the mortal coil too soon was not common practice. But here, in this time and place, there is no excuse not to give homage to those who have passed on.

The shirt he wore was a plain red one he had managed to get before, seeing as none of the old shirts at the inn would fit Kenshiro's impressive frame. Ken found that red suited him fine. It wouldn't show the blood as clearly if he were to be wounded in battle.

Toyotama led him just outside of the inn, a little ways down a street, taking a sharp turn into an alley way. Looking down to make sure that no one was there with them, then craning her neck out of the mouth of the side-alley to see if anyone was going to come by, Toyotama felt satisfied with whatever it was that she was in the midst of doing.

Sauntering over to her Ashikabi, Toyotama gently rested her hands upon his chest, ensuring that his back was pressed against the wall. Moving in closer, placing a leg between his and raising herself onto her tiptoes, Toyotama pressed her lips upon Ken's, her hands slowly making their ascent from his chest to his shoulder, then his neck, until her arms were wrapped around him and she was almost dangling from his neck. Such a muffled sound of relief came from her throat that it was a wonder as to how Toyotama was able to keep calm over the past few days. Her tongue greedily probed his lips, vying for a way in. Toyotama's soft tongue swirled hungrily inside of Ken's mouth. Her Ashikabi didn't appear to be returning the kiss, or if he did she had difficulty telling with her eagerness, but it didn't matter now. Her wings had sprung forth from her back, their soft glow illuminating their features as they kissed, Toyotama relishing the taste of his lips, the warmth of his body so close to hers, the taut muscles of his neck as she hung from it.

What was perhaps a minute felt like time had stood still when she finally released her beloved Ashikabi from the kiss, the sound of their lips parting reflecting on how deep of a kiss it was. Her tongue was almost hanging from the sensation coursing through her body, using Kenshiro to help keep her balance as she coped with the euphoria burning through her.

"That was..." she began, her voice shaking from excitement. Clearing her throat and steadying herself, Toyotama slid her hands down to Ken's chest, looking up to him with her adulterous eyes. Lust filled them so completely, he would not have been surprised had she attempted to tear the clothes off his back.  
"You had spent so much time with Uzume and Akitsu lately," Toyotama continued, "that I was beginning to think that you'd forgotten I was your first Sekirei." She pressed her ample chest against him, wrapping her arms around his midriff and resting her head comfortable against his chest. His calm heartbeat matched hers after a time, the adrenaline of the kiss still pumping through her.  
"I don't mind sharing you with them, but I expect some attention as well you know." She glanced up at him, her face as sad an attempt at puppy dog eyes as she could ever muster with her natural fem-fatale look about her ruining the entire thing.

Though such things was most certainly not his forte, Ken could pick up on the obvious signal Toyotama was giving him. Kenshiro gently put his arms around her, giving her a soft hug and awkwardly kissing her head. Toyotama blinked for a moment, trying to process what he had just done. Not a moment later she couldn't help but laugh.  
"Kenshiro, sweetie. That was..." she looked up with her tell-tale hungry smile. "...cute."  
Slipping out of his arms, running her hand along his muscular arm until she was only hanging onto his finger with two of her own, she gave him another quick smile before letting go.

"Thanks for letting me have some alone time; my legs are still shaking a bit." She made it obvious that she was looking him up and down. "Maybe next time we can do a little bit more than a kiss."

* * *

After having been pulled to the side by Toyotama, who had alluded to more 'alone time' later on, Kenshiro had managed to travel some distance from Izumo Inn. The matter of figuring out what exactly would be the best line of work for someone like him was what came to mind immediately. He was a martial artist, words weren't something he exchanged sparingly, and much of this technology isn't something he had even seen before the nuclear fires that destroyed his world.

There did not appear to be many job openings that he could see as he made his way from street to street. It must be the time of year, people with other obligations now turn to part-time jobs for the time being, so people who come too late tend to find job-searching to be troublesome.  
His stature still turned heads even now. At times it could be a little bothersome. Being about a head and a half taller than most of the citizens made it easier for him to look around though, at least there was that.

The sounds of heavy machinery carried over the din of the crowds as Kenshiro made his way further down a busy street, the budding inner-frame of a building rising partially over a high fence halfway down the road. Reaching the front gate, Kenshiro saw the Help Wanted sign tagged to various other warnings and announcements pertaining to the construction site.  
Once past the fencing, the bustling activity of men breaking down rubble from the old building, machines moving heavy steel girders and cement foundation from place to place, and construction workers hard at their task, securing girders and reinforcing the base of the new edifice.

Some workers were conversing with a man holding a clipboard under his arm, using his hands to accentuate points in his conversation. Most likely giving orders to the employees.  
Seeing a rather tall man walking towards him, the foreman sends his workers off to their assigned tasks, retaking his clipboard and standing in wait for Kenshiro to come speak to him.

"Here looking for a job?" The foreman asked bluntly, looking down at his papers and checking certain things off whatever list he had under his gaze.  
"I am."  
"Well," the foreman sighed, "we're definitely short-handed right now. We get new guys coming in every week but they can't hack it on the site and quit pretty quickly." He eyed Kenshiro up and down. "You seem like you've seen your fair share of work in your day. Think you can handle some hard labor?" Ken nodded.  
"I will do as you ask."  
"Good! In that case, you're hired-"

The conversation was cut short when the sound of snapping cables and steel hitting the ground brought their attention to one of the cranes. The hook had ground into the cable, weakening it until it snapped and its load of steel girders fell to the side, nearly crushing someone.  
"Holy sh-!" the hapless construction worker managed to mutter before scooting himself back from what would have been imminent death.  
Letting out a tired, ragged sigh, the foreman began making his way to the mess, Kenshiro following close from behind. The foreman began barking orders for people to clear the immediate area of the spill in case any of the girders were to fall over, when one of them started tipping towards him.  
Standing in mute shock, he could only look on as the giant steel pillar swung downward towards him. The sound of dull metal thrummed in the air when the girder hit something about a foot or two above his head. He didn't recall there being anything above him when he had walked over.

Looking up, he saw a even more ridiculous sight. The new guy had grabbed the end of the girder with both hands and was holding it in place. The foreman swallowed hard.  
"You're hired. You're most definitely hired." Giving but a nod, Kenshiro reached further out with one hand and picked up the girder, the muscles of his arms bulging with power as he carried it to the side, letting it fall with a loud dull thud on the dirt ground before dusting himself off.

* * *

At Maison Izumo, Miya enlisted the help of Akitsu and Toyotama to assist in doing the house work. Akitsu walked out to the backyard with a fresh basket of clothes ready to be put up to dry, whilst Toyotama and Miya were in the middle of putting up other sheets and whatnot onto the lines.  
Wiping her hands on her long skirt, Miya watched her two helpers put up some linen to dry on an empty line for a moment.  
"Akitsu-san, Toyotama-san, what do you two think of Kenshiro-san?" Miya asked. "He's always so quiet, I'm just wondering if he's perhaps shy." She laughed lightly.

Toyotama pauses in the middle of putting up a bed sheet on the line to stare at the land-lady for a moment. A brief recollection of a few hours ago brought some red to her cheeks which she did well to shake off quickly.  
"I would definitely call him dangerous." She remarked. "I'm surprised nothing's shown up on the news about Higa yet..." she muttered to herself.  
"What about the news?" Miya inquired.  
"Ah, it's nothing." Toyotama shook her head, looking then to Akitsu to help bail her out of this situation.

"Ah..." the Ice Sekirei managed to say before looking away, the look on her face showing the thought she was trying to give to what her next words would be. She folded her hands neatly onto her lap, thinking for a moment.  
"He seems sad, sometimes..." She fidgeted a little. "I can see it in his eyes sometimes. He stares off into space, or looks at me, and I see sadness in his eyes."  
Miya felt an involuntary lump in her throat. She knew the feeling; this sensation that there was something wrong but you didn't know how to make it well again.  
"That's why we're here, isn't it?" Toyo remarked, leaning against one of the support beams of the back patio. "To make Ken-sama forget his sadness. With us around he won't have much time to think about such things."  
"Oh?" Miya asked, her innocent smile belying her scary aura. "And why would that be Toyo-san?"  
The stare was enough for Toyotama to keep a tight lip on what she would have said. There was no need to be graphic, especially if it ended up getting her punished.

"Strong..."  
The word Akitsu spoke got the attention of the other two, looking at the reserved Sekirei. She looked up at Miya.  
"Kenshiro-sama... he's very strong." Akitsu's cheeks gained the slightest sheen of color, which was a feat considering her porcelain skin. "When he accepted me, he fought off many Sekirei to protect me." She wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging herself.  
"Kenshiro-sama would never abandon me."  
"He's chivalrous." Miya remarked, a nostalgic tone in her voice. Her potential Ashikabi was the strong-silent type who could fight on the level of Sekirei. She became more and more interested.

They continued to put up the drying clothes as they chatted, speaking about certain experiences - though making sure to keep Kenshiro's identity as the sole successor to Hokuto Shinken a secret, - as well as chatting about other things, though the subject always returned to their beloved Ashikabi.  
"The way you speak about your Ashikabi reminds me of a Samurai." Miya commented, hiding her good-natured giggle behind her hand. The concept made sense to the two Sekirei; their Ashikabi wasn't at all what you would call a common man, his mannerisms denoted someone regal, almost to a fault.

The more she found out about Kenshiro, the more interested she became. She knew a lot of the feelings he had within himself, as well as her own initial feelings about him, but knowing more about him fed her curiosity for the time being, until she could finally make her move.

* * *

Heat from the warm mid-day sun caused sweat to bead upon Kenshiro's upper body, the finely-honed muscles of his arms and back tensing and flexing as he raised the pick axe above his head, sending it crashing down mightily upon the debris. Around him in a haphazard area were chunks of broken concrete and debris, left over from the initial demolition. It was up to the crew to break down and remove as much of it as possible that day.  
Ken was careful not to use too much of his strength, lest he attract prying eyes. The work was honest, and it kept his mind occupied. Sometimes, that's enough.

His attention turned to the street they were working beside, to the people who slowed to a crawl at the large opening. Many of the people appeared to be girls, and women. They were staring at something in his direction. Mildly curious, Kenshiro looked around him to see what was so interesting in a construction yard. Apart from the men working in the immediate vicinity as well as the broken rubble, there didn't appear to be anything that would garner attention from passers-by.  
The people quickly turned away and moved along when he turned back to look at them. Strange, it was almost as though they were staring at him. There wouldn't be any reason for them to do so, watching someone work ought not to be as interesting as anything else that they could be doing.

"Ken-san." The foreman called, walking up to the powerfully-built man. "You should go take a break, you've done a lot in a short amount of time. Besides," he scratched the side of his nose in a knowing manner. "You seem to garnering a lot of attention from people walking past the site, and it's kinda making it hard for vehicles and machinery to go in and out of the site."  
So that's what it was.  
Ken sighed inwardly, acquiescing to the foreman's request. You would think that seeing a grown man working was unprecedented in this city, with how people were staring all the time. He'd had no choice but to lose the shirt; one of the steel girders had slid off the pile and struck him directly in the chest, tearing the fabric. His body was unharmed - Hokuto Shinken could render flesh many times stronger than steel, - but he regretted bringing the damaged clothing home for repairs. Kenshiro stopped short for a moment at that thought.  
Home.  
To think that he would find a place where he actually belonged in a world he didn't know. It almost made him laugh at the absurdity of it all.

Wearing a spare shirt that one of the workers had in his truck, Kenshiro sat upon a bench not far from the site, one leg crossed over the other, arms crossed over his chest. It was a good opportunity for him to get a little shut-eye, though it was supposed to be his lunch break.  
After a time, and feeling restless, Ken stood and turned to make his way back to work, only to be accosted by someone.  
Though it had no effect on him whatsoever, the girl who had bumped into him had fallen directly on her behind.  
"Ow..." She muttered, rubbing her back. Ken reached down and offered her a hand up. Thanking him absentmindedly, she looked up halfway to her feet and staggered back a step.

"Ah! It's you!" She exclaimed, a look of genuine surprise plastered on her face. It took a second for Kenshiro to place her, he did not know many people here therefore it would not be that difficult to do so.  
"You were with your friends in the southern part of town." He stated. "You were all window-shopping I believe." After a second or two she nodded.  
"Uh, yeah. Haha..." She awkwardly scratched the back of her head. "I didn't see you there, sorry about that. I was distracted by something." The girl laughed nervously for a moment, interrupted by the grumbling that her stomach gave out. Looking even more embarrassed, the girl's head hung in defeat. "This just isn't my day."

Seeing Ken beginning to walk past her, she quickly grabbed his elbow and moved to stand in front of him.  
"I'm sorry for causing you trouble! Let me make it up to you with lunch." She exclaimed. Somehow, Kenshiro found that this seemed uncharacteristic of her.  
"Sorry. I have to return to work."  
He had taken a few steps past her when he noticed some of the workers walking out of the construction site. The foreman appeared a few seconds later, motioning to him.  
"Thanks to you Ken-san, the work got done much faster than anticipated!" He said jovially, slapping Ken on the back. "I'm sending the crew home early, think of it as a half-day!"  
Kenshiro turned to look at the young girl standing behind him. She looked up expectantly at him.  
"Eheh, still up for lunch? I'm starving."

* * *

They sat at a booth in a fast food place not far from where they had bumped into each other. The girl had introduced herself as Yukari Sahashi, a first year university student who had recently moved here.  
"Pwah~ That was pretty good." She said, leaning back and stretching her arms out above her head. Kenshiro had sat in silence, looking out the window while she wolfed down her meal. Though she had offered to treat him, he had politely refused. Sometimes the abundance of food made him sick to his stomach, remembering how scarce even the most basic necessities were back then.

"Thanks for hanging out with me. To be honest I haven't been here long enough to make any friends besides my class-mates."  
"It's alright."  
Yukari continued to chat with Kenshiro, about things that have happened since she's arrived here, about day to day problems, of everything and anything. Ken listened to her attentively and patiently. She appeared to open up more as the conversation went on. Perhaps she simply needed someone to talk to. Though he was not one to mince words, listening was something he could do.

"Ah- it's already this time?" Yukari remarked, looking at the time on her cell phone. "I suppose I ought to head home now. Thanks for hanging out with me all this time Ken-san. We'll have to do this another time!" Appearing to be more cheerful than she had been before they had run into each other, Yukari made her way home. Picking up his torn shirt and hard-hat - due to it now belonging to him and being obligatory, not because he had any need of it, - Kenshiro began the trek to his new home.

* * *

The last golden sliver of light from the sun peeked over the city's skyline, turning the deep orange glow of Kenshiro's surroundings gradually into a mellow shade of indigo. The streets had quieted down a fair amount, everyone heading home for the day for dinner or to be with their families and loved ones.  
Crossing the threshold of the gate leading to the front entrance, Kenshiro could sense a foreboding feeling of apprehension. A heady feeling lay before him, as though there was a momentous amount of anticipation focused to one point. The heavy tension in the air almost immediately dissipated from the air when the front door slid open to reveal the landlady standing there. Had she been standing there for a long time?

Miya smiled warmly at Ken, walking up to meet him.  
"Welcome home, Kenshiro-san." She said, the warmth in her heart intensifying when she approached him. She hoped that the heat didn't show in her cheeks.  
Kenshiro held out a folded red shirt to her, the one he had been wearing when he had left to find a job that day. Miya only noticed then that he was wearing a different shirt; she was so focused on his face that she hadn't noticed his change of clothes.  
"Sorry." He told her, opening the folds to show the slices and holes through the shirt. "I was hit by some equipment at the construction yard."  
"Oh my, well I suppose I can fix this." Miya said in her normal wispy tones. Her voice took on a bit of concern when she looked at him again. "Are you hurt?"  
"I wasn't harmed." The way he said it so matter-of-factually made her believe him. He wasn't like other men. He was a rare person, she knew that much of it, but she wanted to know more.

They stood together in the calm quiet of the late afternoon for a moment before the door once more slid open to reveal Akitsu, Toyotama and Uzume peek out and see that their Ashikabi had finally come home.  
As one they nearly clamored to get to him, tackling him as one. Kenshiro did not move an inch even though three Sekirei with unnatural strength had thrown themselves at him.  
"Welcome home, Kenshiro-sama." Akitsu said in her usual subdued tone.  
"Man, I hadn't seen you all day Ken-chan!" Uzume exclaimed, putting her arms around his neck from behind and nuzzling his shoulder.  
"Did you miss us?" Toyotama asked, the veil-thin attempt at masking her lewd undertones made useless when she made sure that she had pressed her chest against his own while she looked up at him.

The sound of wood hitting three solid objects echoed off the walls in an instant, a red bump on the foreheads of the three Sekirei proof of the fact. Miya stood before them, wooden spoon in hand. Where she had gotten the time to fetch a spoon was beyond them, and asking such a question was liable to make you suffer more than just a smack on the forehead.  
"Ow... Miya-san, why'd you do that for? That's gonna leave a mark..." Uzume asked, rubbing her forehead in the hopes of lessening the swelling of what might become a welt.  
"Oh Uzume, whatever do you mean?" Miya asked in a charmingly friendly voice, her lilting laugh doing nothing to hide the terrifying Hannya that was surfacing from behind her. The chilling aura of danger was their cue to run back inside before they suffered yet again the wrath of their land-lady.

Once everyone had calmed down and gone back inside, Miya gently laid a hand on Ken's fore-arm.  
"I've drawn a bath for you, feel free to take your time while I get dinner ready."  
Kenshiro nodded in acquiescence, placing the hard-hat onto a hat-hook near the door. Uzume had gone to the living room, laying spread-eagle on the floor while watching television. The news station was going over the recent incident at the nearby hospital, speculating about the mysterious death of the pharmaceutical company heir Higa Izumi. Talk about a sudden heart attack was the main topic of discussion, leading into the possibility of someone from within the company wanting to eliminate Higa in order to assume power. As Kenshiro passed by, Uzume turned to him and gave him a light-hearted grin. Seeing someone so happy and cheerful lifted his tired heart.

Akitsu had begun helping Miya with dinner. She looked natural in the kitchen, knowing her way around the preparation of tonight's meal. Akitsu turned to pick up something and noticed that he was looking at her. Though her expression rarely changed and her skin was always a pale porcelain color, the slightest hint of pink colored her cheeks as she gave him the most demure of smiles. That she would smile in such a way for him made him appreciate her friendship all the more. Had she been forced to fall in league with that little tyrant, who knows what or how she would be doing now.

Toyotama sat casually at the patio of the backyard, running a soft cloth along her staff to clean it of dust and dirt. Picking it up to check the length of it for any bends, she glanced his way for a moment, giving him a wink as a silent reminder of what was to come. The events of that morning were still fresh in his mind. Though he still held strongly to the memories of his first love and his comrades, he knew in his heart that he ought to move forward. Whether or not he would live long enough to have something to move on to was the dilemma that was preventing him from doing so.

Feeling the warmth of the bath when he reached the door to the bath room, Kenshiro silently made his way inside, preparing himself to soak his body and soul into the water.

* * *

The dim light from a wall of monitors reflected off of her glasses when she adjusted them for a moment, not believing her good fortune at was she was seeing. The Sky Ashikabi-kun whom she had been keeping tabs on for the past week or so was not only living under the same roof, but was disrobing before her very eyes! Well, before her hidden cameras. It was the same thing in essence.

Skimming through older footage of other areas - including MBI databanks that she had managed to sneak into for a time, - she had noticed that someone in MBI had taken a big interest in Kenshiro-tan, especially in the footage taken from a warehouse crane-yard where he had fought a gang of local criminals. The aftermath was not pretty, but she had seen her fair share of gruesome footage from MBI's stored information.

Now though, an opportunity had shown itself to her. She wasn't sure if this man was her Ashikabi, but that didn't mean she couldn't have a bit of fun now, did it?  
Practically salivating at the prospect, giggling a little too enthusiastically, Sekirei number 02, Matsu, was going to try experimenting on her dear Sky Ashikabi-kun.

* * *

The hot water washing off the day's dirt felt refreshing. Making an effort to cleanse himself of the dust of the road, Kenshiro almost didn't pay attention to the person he could sense sneaking into the changing room that separated the actual bath from the hallway.

Standing to his full height, Ken turned towards the sliding doors in order to confront this potential spy. Perhaps whoever he had come to face caught wind of his arrival far sooner than he had anticipated? No matter, he was more than prepared to deal with the situation at hand.  
At hearing a muffled cry and the sound of someone taking a tumble, Kenshiro quickly slid open the door to find a young woman sprawled on her back. She wore a pink dress, with her reddish hair tied in twin braids. Her large glasses were at an odd angle, and her hands were attempting to stifle her now bleeding nose.

"Kukuku.. you're so bold, Kenshiro-tan." The girl muttered from behind her hands, giving Kenshiro a lecherous grin.  
"Why have you been observing me these past few days?" Kenshiro asked bluntly. His sharp gaze staring down the girl like a hawk spotting a stumbling rabbit. Matsu's eyes widened a little; the revelation that he had known of her for this long was news to her.  
"I was just curious of our new Otokorashii house-mate and wanted to get a look," Matsu made a show of looking him up and down, "I'm delighted that I got more than I expected to!"

Though he was relieved that she was merely another tenant and not some spy or assassin, Ken was not pleased by the intrusion nonetheless. Walking over to Matsu, whose nosebleed seemed to have gone to her cheeks by how red they were, Kenshiro wrapped an arm around her midriff and lifted her up similar to a large sack of rice. Sliding the door to the hallway, he carried her out of the changing room and set her down on her feet. Blinking, Matsu placed her hands on her cheeks. "Iyahn, Ken-san. Picking up a girl like that!" She fawned, an intelligent yet perverted sheen overtaking her eyes.  
Not wanting to wait and see what this one would do if given a chance, Kenshiro slid the door closed behind him.

* * *

After what felt like only a few more minutes, Ken heard the door to the changing room slide open. The faint sound of clothes rustling echoed into the bath from the other side. The door to the bath opened to reveal both Toyotama and Uzume wearing nothing more than towels around their waists.  
"We're coming in~!" Uzume said cheerfully, giving Ken a friendly wave. Toyotama slipped her towel off of her body and onto the floor, washing herself frugally in order to slip into the water with her Ashikabi as quickly as possible. Uzume gave her hair a good scrub, enjoying the warmth of the soap before getting in herself.

Toyotama slipped into the water slowly, wrapping an arm over her breasts as she eased herself towards her Ashikabi. Once submerged to just below her shoulders, Toyo moved to Ken's side, entwining her legs around one of his and hugging his right arm, her right arm draped over his chest.  
"I just might get more than a kiss right now..." she whispered into his ear, her hand gliding down to his stomach and back up again. Humming a tune, Uzume hopped into the bath, sending a small wave onto Ken and Toyotama.  
"Aha, sorry, sorry." Uzume chuckled, sliding over to Ken's other side and stretching her arms up over her head, putting one over his broad shoulders and the other entwined around his free arm. Looking down at Toyotama's legs wrapped on his own, as well as something else - which garnered a low whistle from the cheerful Uzume, - number 10 curled her legs around Ken's, nuzzling his neck before settling in for a soak.  
"Isn't it nicer with some company?" Uzume asked, grinning as she gave Kenshiro's inner thigh a friendly pat.

Uzume sat upright all of a sudden, garnering the attention of Toyotama. The dark shroud of the Hannya began seeping through the door as the familiar shape of a young woman behind the rice-paper door of the changing room.  
"U-zu-me... To-yo-chan..." came Miya's voice, the door sliding open to reveal the landlady holding a frying pan. "Might I ask what you are doing here, bothering Kenshiro-san during his bath?"  
A couple of sturdy hits with the frying pan later, Miya had ushered the girls out of the bath while giving them the 'no indecent acts in the inn' speech as was the norm, giving them chores to do in order to keep them occupied for the time being.

* * *

Kenshiro let out a calming breath, sliding a little further down into the water. He closed his eyes and thought only of the sensation of water covering his body, of the warmth seeping into his bones, of the sound of the door opening again... wait.  
Opening his eyes, a less stressful yet still strange sight was before him. The land lady, Asami Miya, had come into the bath with a towel around her body, sitting at the entrance of the bath.

"Please excuse the intrusion." She said before entering. Pulling out the well-worn wooden stools, Miya sat on one, beckoning Kenshiro to come join her.  
"Akitsu-san is finishing dinner, so it will be ready soon. May I wash your back?" She asked, a kind smile framing her face. Though there had been some interruptions, Kenshiro felt he had gotten enough time to soak in the bath. Rising from the water, to which Miya averted her eyes at the last second, Ken picked up his discarded towel and sat on the other stool with his back to the land lady.  
While she gently washed his back, the soft cloth in her hands gliding over the sculpted muscles and scars. Seeing his bare form up close, she could really see that he had a fighter's body. There did not appear to be a trace of fat on him; such an endeavor would be difficult for even the most talented athletes.

"So you found work on the first day? I'm impressed, Ken-san."  
"Mm."  
"What brought you to the city? Are you a university student?" The sound of Miya's scrubbing was the only noise for a time.  
"...I was brought here to do something of great importance. I do not know what it is I must do, but the heavens will show me the way soon."  
The way he spoke of it, so cryptically, was either a weird joke or he was possibly hiding something. As far as she could tell, humor wasn't his strong suite, and he was too honest of a man to lie to her unless it was very important for him to do so.  
Miya washed the soap off of Kenshiro's back, her hands pausing upon his shoulder blades. The warmth emanating from his body warmed hers. Though she did not require an ashikabi or the process of being winged due to her unique position as the first Sekirei, Miya felt a strong sensation from Kenshiro ever since she felt his deepest emotions on that fateful night. She wanted to know more about him, to be with him. She would not throw herself at him, she had her own pride. After her husband had passed, thinking about moving on wasn't even an option she entertained. Now, with this man before him, that option was all too realistic.

"Are you alright, Miya?" Kenshiro asked. Hearing him speak his name with such familiarity jolted her out of her thoughts, not to mention bringing heat to her cheeks. It felt good to hear him call her by her name in such a manner. Clearing her throat, Miya dried her hands and got to her feet.  
"Ara, I must have zoned out for a moment. I'm sorry." Miya gave him a warm smile. "All clean! Dinner should be ready soon." Touching him on the shoulder for a moment, Miya then turned towards the door and left. Kenshiro waited for a time in order to let Miya get changed before him. The day was becoming more and more strange.

* * *

At the dinner table, Kenshiro was pulled to sit beside Akitsu, who fiercely defended her seat beside her Ashikabi from her two Sekirei cohorts. Once more Toyotama and Uzume played Jan Ken Pon in order to figure out who would sit at his other side. The spectacle was entertaining to Miya, Kagari and the newly introduced Matsu. Kenshiro was perplexed by the spectacle.  
"Why do you argue about seating arrangements? We are all together at the same table; where you are sitting should not matter."  
Toyo and Uzume shared a look. Toyotama was the one who spoke up.  
"It isn't the seat, but you that were are fighting over." She said it so bluntly tat it made Miya giggle.  
"Oh my, Toyo-chan, you're so bold."

Once dinner had been finished, and Miya was taking away the dishes, Uzume's phone began to ring. Picking up the phone, Uzume stares in surprise at who the caller is, handing it over to her Ashikabi.  
"It's from MBI." She explained, those three letters being all that the others needed to hear to comprehend. Taking the cell from Uzume, Kenshiro held it to his ear.  
"Ah...? Hello? Hello? Ashikabi-san?" came the voice from the other line.  
"Speak."  
"Oh, you ARE there! Good! Good. Congratulations on winging a Sekirei! And multiple ones at that! You've been busy Kenshiro-san." Ken said nothing, as there was no reason for him to tell anything to this man.  
"Alright, well, allow me to introduce myself. I'm the president of MBI - or Mid Bio Informatics, and the organizer of this wonderful game, Minaka Hiroto! Now that I'm finally able to speak with you, which was not very easy mind you, let me explain the rules of the Sekirei Game to you." When Kenshiro said nothing, Minaka continued.  
"All you have to do, besides winging Sekirei which you've already done, is to fight other Ashikabi and their Sekirei until you are the only one left standing! Once you do that, you'll be granted anything you desire. Doesn't that sound nice?" Still no response from Kenshiro. The people around him were waiting to see if he would say anything, for all they knew he had been put on hold.  
"Ah...haha. Well then, if you understand everything I'll let you go. Busy work being the president of the largest company in the world and all that. Oh! Before I end this call, it would be in your best interest if you kept this whole thing a secret. If word got out about the Sekirei project, we would have to come after you. If you keep it secret everything will be fine!"

"...You call enslaving people and forcing them to slaughter each other a game?" Kenshiro's harsh tone reverberated in the stiflingly quiet room.  
"Ah, so you CAN talk. That's good, I was worried there for a moment!"  
"You should not have contacted me. Now that I know who you are, it is only a matter of time."  
"Oh? Until what?" There was a long pause. Kenshiro's eyes were alight with a blue fury that could only be his own.  
"Until I kill you."

* * *

It had been a little while after the eventful call from Minaka. Everyone was left speechless, some dumbfounded, by what they heard. Miya - with her heightened senses intact due to her refusal to being 'adjusted', - had heard the entire conversation. Her heart felt hot. This man, Kenshiro, would willingly walk into the lion's den for the sake of her race. She glanced away in case her face had gone red.  
Kenshiro had moved to the back patio in order to breathe in the cool night air. Other than his Sekirei hanging off of him from time to time, he seemed a solitary person who enjoyed the quiet. Miya could relate to some extent, but having people around her made her feel at ease.

A gentle hand touched his shoulder, revealing it to be Akitsu. Without another word, the Ice Sekirei sat beside her Ashikabi, resting her head on his shoulder and looking out at the night sky with him. The sound of feet padding on the wooden patio stopped when Uzume flopped down beside them, spreading her arms and legs so that she could relax. Toyotama had sat down besides Kenshiro's right, keeping a wary eye to the living room so that she would receive any retribution from the land lady.

"What do you think?" Toyotama asked, "of the Sekirei Game I mean."  
"It is no game." Kenshiro turned to look at her. "I will have no part in it."  
"You don't have much of a choice, unfortunately." It was Matsu who had spoken up, leaning against the door frame leading into the living room. "If you try to run or hide they'll just send people out to eliminate you."  
The last part made Uzume chuckle, which made Matsu raise an eyebrow in curiosity.  
"What's so funny?"  
"Well, let's just say I feel really sorry for anyone forced to come after Ken-chan, that's all." She then rolled over to look towards Matsu and made a slow slicing motion with her finger across her throat.  
"I've only seen him fight some thugs, well I say fight-" Toyotama turned to look at Matsu and Uzume, "-he only defended himself and then threw a guy's knife back into his face."  
Akitsu placed her hand on Ken's lap, squeezing gently.  
"When Kenshiro-sama protected me from another Ashikabi, he defeated three Sekirei in a matter of seconds." She glanced back to the other Sekirei without taking her head off of her beloved's shoulder. "The only reason that Ashikabi is alive now if because I had stopped Kenshiro-sama from executing him."

Matsu let out a steadying sigh, adjusting her glasses.  
"Haa... you seem to be able to handle yourself quite well Kenshiro-tan." She looked up at him. "But the Disciplinary Squad are a different matter completely."  
Kenshiro sat in silence for a time. Of all the opponents he had to fight: Shin, Souther, Jagi, Raoh, Falco, Kaioh... these 'Sekirei' were nothing close to them. He understood how prideful they seem to be, that they are beings different from humans - their power comes from the stars revolving around Hokuto after all, - but their power is finite. A master of Hokuto Shinken's power always surpasses, no matter the opponent. No matter the situation.

"It does not matter if there are one hundred or one hundred thousand; Hokuto Shinken is invincible."

* * *

Though not physically tired, Kenshiro silently made his way to his room, mentally exhausted. Wanting nothing more than to shut himself off from everything for a time, Ken gets into his futon, Predictably, it didn't take long for his Sekirei to 'sneak' in and curl up in his arms; Toyo clinging to his right arm, Akitsu under his left arm with her free arm draped over his chest, and Uzume between his legs, her head resting on his stomach. He was surprised - and relieved, - when they soon fell asleep instead of their now routine attempts to fool around.  
Closing his eyes, Kenshiro soon faded into the darkness of sleep.

Opening his eyes, he found himself in a dark expanse of trees and thick vegetation. Standing perfectly still, he reached out with his other senses. He did not smell blood, and did not hear any nearby rustling or animals. After a time, the faint sound of crying drifted to his ears. It was a fair ways away, but he could begin to identify it. It sounded like the puling of a small child.  
Lowering himself to a near-crouch, Kenshiro began loping through the wilderness, using his vision now acclimated to the darkness to pick out solid patches of dirt or rocks, taking care not to step on any branches, dead leaves, twigs, or soft areas. The only sound he could hear around him was the soft rustling of the leaves in the wind and the ever-increasing sound of the little girl crying.

Reaching a small clearing, Kenshiro finally found the source of the weeping. In a rather large tree, up in the branches, sat a little girl. She was delicate and diminutive, her small frame draped in a white dress. Long golden hair cascaded from her head, hiding her face as she cried into her knees.  
Moving silently as a shadow in the dark, Kenshiro stood up to his full height, looking up at the girl. She did not appear to notice him.

"Are you alright?" He asked, more to get her attention than to genuinely ask; anyone with eyes could see that she wasn't.  
The girl gasped and fidgeted, looking around until she looked down to see Kenshiro standing just below her.  
"What is your name?" He asked.  
"Kuusano..." She answered in a wispy, meek voice.  
"Kuusano, why are you crying?"  
"Uuu..." tears appeared to well up in her eyes again. "Kuu wanted to see the flowers, but a girl tried to attack me, so I ran away." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm scared."  
Kenshiro looked at her for a moment longer. She reminded him a lot of Lynn, years ago.

"I am Kenshiro."  
Kuusano blinked her tears away to look at Ken more closely.  
"Ken?" Kenshiro nodded.  
"That's right." He lifted his arms, almost able to pick her up out of the tree from his height. "I will catch you. It's alright."  
Kuusano nodded, standing shakily on her feet to prepare herself to jump to safety. Giving herself a little push, Kuusano fell into Kenshiro's waiting arms.  
Holding her protectively in his arms, Kenshiro pulled her close so that she could be swathed in his warmth. Clinging to his neck, Kuusano held on tightly.  
"Ken-chan..." she whispered shyly, "will you be my onii-chan?"  
The request was a strange one, but not as bad as others he had heard of late. When Kenshiro nodded, Kuusano giggled happily, hugging Kenshiro's neck tightly.

The forest around them gave way to darkness, and an invisible force pulled little Kuusano away from Ken.  
"Please, save me onii-chan!" She cried, tears welling in her eyes as she lost her grip on Ken.  
A bright blue aura formed around Ken, his muscles tensing with power. Rage began to build within him.  
This was a sign from the heavens. He would begin saving these people, beginning with Kuusano.

* * *

In the hollowed trunk of a tree, deep in the jungle that was once called the botanical gardens, little Kuusano shivered, holding back her tears.  
"Ken-onii-chan... come soon..." she pined, waiting for her savior to come find her.

* * *

I feel as though I could have done more with this chapter, but I know not to constantly change something or else I will lose what good the chapter had in the first place. I hope you have enjoyed this chapter as well as others to come. As always, thanks for reading, please review the chapter as I will gladly reply to you if you allow replies, and I hope to see you again soon.


	8. Chapter 8 The God of Death's Mercy

Before I begin my Author's Note, I would like to humbly apologize for the absolutely ridiculous amount of time it took me to upload this chapter. I will do my best to ensure that it does not happen again, though unfortunately I cannot promise a quick upload every time of course.

This chapter is, in fact, half to two thirds of the original chapter. I had unfortunately planned too much to place in this chapter, and have decided to end it at a good point in this chapter, hence the fact that I will be able to upload the next chapter quicker due to already having most of the work on it done.  
As always, thank you for reading.

Sekirei and Hokuto no Ken are property of their respective owners, of which I am not.

* * *

Chapter 8 - The God of Death's Mercy

* * *

There was a strong breeze atop MBI tower, perfect for making his white coat flap in the wind. Looking down at the city that is nearly completely owned by his company, Minaka grins at the little plan he has hatching in his mind. His gaze moves to the overgrown botanical garden, the prize hidden within making him giddy at the thought of moving his game pieces like the puppets they were.  
Typing up a text quickly upon his cell phone, the president of MBI sends it through to all the Ashikabi currently in the game. Now he would wait and see how they would react to this new development.  
"Let us see what fate you bring upon yourselves!" He cried out into the winds, stretching his arms out at his sides.

The vision of Minaka on his rooftop fades into the surface of a large water basin in a vast candle-lit chamber. A shrouded figure looms over the basin, a dark laughter full of disdain slithers from their lips. Seeing this little man wallow in his own gloating is amusing. This 'game' of his is quaint, a fitting scheme for a peasant such as him.

"I've given you intelligence and power beyond your wildest dreams, little mortal; for your sake you'd best not fail me."  
Minaka looked as though he had heard the hidden figure speak, causing him to look up towards the direction that the being was watching him, which made the hidden figure laugh even more. Truly, this must be what it feels like to toy with an insect.

* * *

Not much time had passed since the body of Izumi Higa had fallen to the floor. The man's blood had most likely not yet cooled whilst Kenshiro moved akin to a silent phantom through the hallways. Passing by a corridor, catching a glimpse of Akitsu sitting at a chair in a major hallway while the others were at a desk nearby, Ken's eyes told the Ice Sekirei all that was needed to be said in an instant. The trio would soon follow their Ashikabi, wherever he was headed.

Kenshiro slipped down the hallways towards one of the larger clusters of rooms - most likely where Higa would coordinate his little excursions with his Sekirei. Finding the door to be unlocked, he went in.  
Laying sprawled upon the floor, as well as having fallen or slumped onto chairs or desks, were nearly a half dozen Sekirei. Even in the coming darkness of night he could make out their spiritual auras clearly, and they were fading.

A strange pull, similar to when he had been led to the ancient temple by Bishamonten, now compelled him to these girls. Acting swiftly, Kenshiro pushed the desks back and lay all of them down on the floor for proper assessment. Five girls lay on the ground before him. Three of them he recognized as the girls from earlier that day, the others were most likely more of Higa's Sekirei. Hopefully these were Higa's only Sekirei, for he would be unable to help any others.

The door slid open, Kenshiro's focus remaining upon the people before him. He knew immediately who had come into the room before they had gotten halfway down the hallway. Their scent, the sound of their movement - no matter how minuscule, - were all familiar to him now.  
"Crap..." Uzume whispered when she saw the people lined up on the floor. Akitsu and Toyotama silently moved through the other rooms, peeking out windows and stationing themselves at certain positions in order to defend the room while Kenshiro did whatever he had in mind. The eerie calm in his heart told them enough; there was no need for words now.

Uzume crouched down beside her Ashikabi, observing his hands as he touched certain places on their bodies. A finger twitched here, muscles became taut there. Everything he did appeared to have some sort of effect on their bodies, but she couldn't exactly see what it was that he was doing. It simply looked like he was gently prodding different places on their bodies.  
Kenshiro frowned in consternation; they were near-death. He did not know nearly half of what his brother Toki knew about using Hokuto Shinken in medicinal practice. He did learn some things during his stay here from what few encounters he had been in with other Sekirei, including those who were at his side now. He would have to act quickly.

A thought suddenly struck him, like pieces of a puzzle snapping into place. Kenshiro's hands moved swiftly, pressing multiple Tsubo at once, going down the list in his head as rapidly as he could without endangering what little life was still left in these people. Hokuto Shinken could just as easily save a life as it could take it, this he had learned from his brother.  
Moving from their sides to their chests, and eventually to their necks and temples, Kenshiro finally performed the last acupressure points required. What was most likely a few minutes felt like hours. In turn, light shimmered mutely from their backs, breaking their bond with the dead. Uzume gently placed a hand on the girl beside her, Shi she was called, and felt the smallest of heart beats. They were feeble, but they were alive. Uzume could not believe what she was seeing. No Sekirei could be brought back from this state if their Ashikabi died, that was what their Adjusters had told them. Now she watched as Kenshiro cared for these girls who had just a few hours ago tried to force her into their ranks.

Akitsu and Toyotama glanced their way every now and then, looking at the slow progress made on the Sekirei that their Ashikabi had found. Who knew what was going to happen now. Their deactivation would be known to MBI by now, and yet there were not helicopters here to retrieve the bodies.

"MBI will send men to take them away."  
Akitsu's reserved voice came softly into the heavy silence. They all turned to her in unison. Kenshiro's eyes narrowed.  
"What do you wish to do, Kenshiro-sama?" She asked. Their Ashikabi gave a quick appraisal of the girls now in his care. Standing quietly, he moved to the window, his eyes glancing from one building to another. He pointed to one of the top floors of an adjacent office building, the windows pitch black.  
"We move. Each of you carry one person, I will take two."

Holding the youngest and oldest, Shi and Ichiya respectively in his arms, Kenshiro slipped out of the window and leaped easily across the way to the roof of the office building. It was a little lower than the hospital, which made the transition easier for them.  
While his Sekirei followed suit, Kenshiro moved Shi to lean against his chest as he stuck a finger through the loop of the padlock, effortlessly tearing it off with a smooth yank. Pulling the door open, he continued down the stair well towards the top floor, Uzume, Akitsu and Toyotama following close behind.

Once inside a somewhat spacious office, Kenshiro lay the girls down on the floor and set to providing more space to lay the other Sekirei next to them by moving desks out of the way. Toyotama whispered her intention to retrieve the lock and then shutting the door before returning and slipped out, while Akitsu moved to the windows in order to keep watch for any MBI presence. Uzume unhooked some curtains and rolled them into make-shift pillows so that she could elevate the girls' heads, providing at least some comfort while they recuperated from whatever it was that Kenshiro had done to them.

They stayed in that room for what felt like an hour. Some police cars had finally come to the hospital, finding Higa's body collapsed on the floor of an empty hallway.  
Kenshiro methodically cared for the girls, silently diagnosing them and gradually making his way from one to the other. They appeared to be faring better, their breaths coming more easily as well as looking to have more life in their faces. Kenshiro was at Ichiya's head, gently pressing Tsubo behind her neck when she abruptly awoke with a start, moving her head up to a mere inch or two from Kenshiro's face.  
The first thing that came to her mind was the fresh memory of a man covered in blood holding a Sekirei under one arm as though she was nothing more than a plaything. Sucking in a quick breath in surprise, Ichiya kicked away from him, moving herself to the far wall.

"Whoa, whoa there Nee-san. Calm down." Uzume said, raising her hands in a reassuring manner. Ichiya's gaze snapped to her, her tense features relaxing somewhat when she noticed that it was the same Sekirei that she had failed to capture for Higa-sama. Seeing the two together made sense to her now.  
"We're not here to hurt you, we're here to help." Uzume whispered softly. "Without my Ashikabi you guys'd probably have kicked the bucket by now."

Toyotama returned in time to witness the Sekirei stirring from their unconsciousness. Sharing a look with Ken, Uzume looked over the others to ensure their well-being.  
It was obvious by the unnerved looks on their faces that they were not expecting the loss of their Ashikabi. Though most merely looked shaken, Ichiya the least bothered by her predicament, those like Oriha and Shi appeared to be more distraught.

"I would have thought that MBI ought to have sent someone for us by now." Ichiya said cautiously. "How are we here now? I've never heard of Sekirei coming to after..."  
Even though she wasn't as affected by Higa's death emotionally, saying it out loud felt wrong even to her.

"Kenshiro-chan here," Uzume piped up, gesturing to the man quietly looking over a timid Shi, "did his best to save all of you when you were all about to get terminated." She shrugged and looked over at him. "I'm not exactly sure what he did, but it helped bring you all back from the brink."

"It reminds me of ancient Chinese medicine." It was Akitsu whom had spoken up next. Seeing Uzume's quizzical expression, she elaborated. "I had a lot of free time to look things up and learn before the game started."

The crestless Sekirei watched Akitsu warily while she made her way to Ken and knelt down at his side.  
"Some of you might recognize me as the scrapped number." Though she normally spoke with a level head and a strong reign over her emotions, the ice Sekirei's voice held a slight hint of distaste that still clung to that title she had now shed.  
"I would never be able to go out and find my destined Ashikabi; that is what the scientists had told me. They were wrong." Akitsu placed a hand on Kenshiro's arm and gave him a loving squeeze.

"Kenshiro found me when I was alone and about to be forced into Mikogami Hayato's service." A few of the Sekirei looked at each other knowingly. Hayato was a big player in the Sekirei game.  
"He fended them off, and healed the damage from all the experimentation. He gave me my crest back." To emphasize her point, Akitsu gently tugged Ken's shirt so that he would lean forward, and leaned into him as well, pressing her soft lips firmly against his own.

Pale wings formed of ice shards bloomed from her back, the soft glow filling the room as Akitsu hungrily pressed her lips against her Ashikabi, suckling on his tongue eagerly as her hand pawed at his chest. Her other hand twitched near his groin, every shred of self-control burning away with the heat of their kiss, the urge to act on her instincts almost painful to hold in check.

The sound of Toyotama clearing her throat from across the room brought Akitsu to her senses, who pulled away from the passionate kiss with a pop. A quick glance showed Ichiya flashing her an approving grin, mirrored by Uzume and Sai, while Shi and Oriha blushed furiously.  
Akitsu cleared her throat a little embarrassingly before regaining her composure and turning to Ken.

"Kenshiro-sama, you gave me the chance to find my destined Ashikabi. Is it possible for you to give these Sekirei their crests back?"  
The question brought a wave of surprise to the girls, all of whom were staring intently at the man before them. Would he be truly be capable of giving them a second chance?  
Kenshiro stood up, standing before them in solemn silence. He gazed intensely into the eyes of each and every one of them.

"Is this what you truly want?" Kenshiro finally asked. Ichiya was skeptical at first, but seeing the scrapped number winged, not to mention that this man achieved something not even MBI could hope to do in fifty years - being able to pull someone from the grip of death within mere moments, - there was nothing for her to lose.

"Alright," Ichiya spoke up, "I'm willing to try if you are,: While she stood and began making her way to Kenshiro, the other Sekirei - glancing at one another for confirmation, - all gathered around the man who saved their lives.

That had been some time ago. Kenshiro and his Sekirei didn't know what became of them, but he hoped in his heart that they would not have to suffer the same fate twice. His genuine concern didn't come as a surprise to his Sekirei, who could sense the deep abiding love of life within Kenshiro's stout heart.

* * *

The day was creeping steadily towards mid-afternoon, and Kenshiro would be finishing work soon. Miya had gotten Toyotama, Akitsu and Uzume together at the dining room where she handed them each a list.  
"Seeing as you're all so eager and competitive, why don't we turn this chore into a little contest? Whoever manages to purchase every item on the list and gets here first will be able to sit next to Ken-san at the table."  
Akitsu glanced carefully at the list - her fellow Sekirei doing the same, - before nodding to the land lady.  
"I will perform this task without fail." Akitsu stated. Toyo smirked, sashaying to the door.  
"We'll see if your speed can match up with your words."  
Although it felt like a pain to do and worthy of a sigh, a chance for Uzume to sidle up to her teddy-bear of an Ashikabi wasn't something she could pass up.

While all of this was in the midst of happening, both Matsu and Kagari were sitting comfortably at the table, hot tea in their hands. Things were definitely livelier with these girls around.  
"I didn't think that Ken-san really cared about seating arrangements when it came to all of us being together at the table," Kagari commented. Uzume scratched the back of her head.  
"Well Ken-chan's kinda like a big teddy-bear; ya just wanna crawl into his lap and give him a hug." The cloth Sekirei laughed aloud at her self-imposed image of a plushie Kenshiro, or even worse - Kenshiro dressed up as a teddy bear. That image looked very strange.

"I feel safe when I am at Kenshiro-sama's side. He makes me feel at ease." Akitsu's pale cheeks took on a slight flush.  
Matsu giggled her tell-tale laugh, adjusting her glasses while she glanced at the girls.  
"I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that he's a big, ruggedly handsome man with a great body."  
Toyotama smiled knowingly.  
"I like that reason more."

Miya turned to Matsu with a smile, veiled by the shadow of her Hannya. Even the others cringed though the malice wasn't directed at them.  
"I'm sure even a sexual deviant such as Matsu-san understands the rules against indecent behavior?" The land-lady ended the rhetorical question with a lilting laugh, her delicate hand raised over her mouth.  
"Y-yes, Miya-tan..."

Not wanting the ever-fearful gaze of Miya's wrath to fall upon them, the trio decided that it would be wise to leave sooner rather than later.  
"We're going now, Miya-san," Uzume called, the others bowing before following her outside.

* * *

Akitsu was walking along the streets in the northern parts of the city, headed in the direction of Kenshiro's workplace. She had been unfortunate to have lost the race, Toyotama's skill in physical combat having given her an edge in speed. Though she had attempted her best, Akitsu understood that it hadn't been enough. At least Uzume did not appear too disappointed over the whole thing.  
As a consolation price of sorts, Akitsu was asked to escort Kenshiro back home, to which she quickly accepted. She could at least spend some time with him on the way home.

Upon arriving on-site,Akitsu glanced around, but could not see her Ashikabi. Waiting patiently for a time to the side, she caught sight of the foreman - the only person who really interacted with Kenshiro. She supposed that to others he might seem a little intimidating.  
Approaching him, Akitsu lightly tapped him on his shoulder.  
"Excuse me..."  
"Oh, Akitsu-san!" The foreman turned and smiled. "Here to see Ken-san?" The ice Sekirei nodded. The foreman scratched his stubble.  
"Well, most of the work for this week has already been done, thanks in no small part to Ken-san, so I sent him home early." Akitsu looked confused.  
"He did not come home."

The foreman rubbed the back of his neck.  
"Ah." Sighing, he gave his clip board to the person standing close to him. "Well, he might have had some errands to run. I've never really seen him do anything else other than come here, work and then return home." He followed Akitsu to the construction yard entrance. "Hope you can find him safe and sound!"  
Bowing, Akitsu set off to look for her Ashikabi. Luckily for her, since having been re-winged through Kenshiro's abilities she could sense in a broad stroke where Kenshiro was.

* * *

A mere few minutes after Akitsu's departure from the construction site, yet another individual seeking the sole Hokuto practitioner approached. This tall fellow was wrapped in dark red fineries, a white half-cape hooked to a braided cord shoulder pad on his right. The light breeze brushed his shoulder-length raven hair from his angular face, impish eyes doing nothing to aid the mirthless face he was putting on.

He made no effort in humility as he walked into the construction yard, his confident stride bordering on pure arrogance. Resting a hand easily on his left hip, the stranger stared at the foreman, of whom had yet to reach this new arrival.

"I'm looking for someone," the stranger stated, wasting no time with pleasantries. "A tall man with blues eyes, strong build, and seven scars on his chest shaped like Ursa Major."  
The man flashed what was supposed to pass off as a disarming smile, but to the foreman only made him look like a snake.

"I'd remember a guy like that," grumbled the foreman, wiping the sweat on the back of his neck with a damp rag. "We get a lot of drifters and part timers through here, especially lately. If he did work here I don't think he stayed."  
"I see." The stranger ran a finger down the length of his jaw in thought. A patient smile stayed on his face, his gaze turning slightly when a nearby worker approached them.  
"I think he means Ken-san, boss."  
The foreman groaned inwardly at his worker's complete lack of wisdom. "He left early, since he had already done most of today's work on his own. He's a monster of a hard worker."  
"Ah, so Ken-san was here earlier." The grin widening on his face something else. "Thank you for your time gentlemen, you've been most helpful."

* * *

The streets were clearing for the most part, the bustle of the day winding down as the afternoon approached. The only sound that now pierced Ken's thoughts was the echoing of his foot steps.  
A familiar sensation came to his attention, a saki that was barely kept from boiling over; he cared not to know whether it was from rage or excitement that they were restraining themselves. Stopping in his tracks, keeping his gaze firmly ahead, Kenshiro reached out with his mind, sensing the direction of the potential assassin before they could realize that he had already discovered them.

The saki took firm shape when it approached from behind, a good twenty feet away.  
The familiar silhouette of a silver-haired woman in her normal black attire approached, the dull colored eyes of the woman all too familiar to him now.

"My my, we meet again." Karasuba chided, smiling. "Don't worry, I'd rather not lose another sword; they're not exactly easy to replace." Reaching to her side, the black Sekirei patted her hip to show that she was weaponless - as far as anyone knew.  
The woman walked casually closer to Kenshiro, the taciturn man standing grimly before her a good foot and a half taller. Karasuba made a point of eyeing him up and down, her gaze lingering for a moment on one of the scars that could be seen from the neckline of the shirt before locking onto his face.  
"You're not like the other monkeys," she purred, "I can tell you're not afraid of me. I wonder, is that due to confidence?" Karasuba smiled, resting a hand on her hip.

Her attention turned to Akitsu, whom had finally found her Ashikabi and leapt from the rooftops to his side. The ice Sekirei instinctively put an arm protectively before her Ashikabi, the air around them dropping in temperature rapidly. Karasuba laughed in earnest at the gesture.  
"You and I both know that you wouldn't make a difference." Karasuba's eyes narrowed in a moment of concentration, realization changing her features.  
"You're the scrapped number."  
"...Not anymore." Akitsu's eyes betrayed only the slightest hint of anger in their features. Karasuba smirked.  
"I see that. Seems like you've finally found something worth living for. Good, maybe you'll be worth killing soon enough." The Disciplinary squad leader turned her attention to the person she had come to see for herself. "I hope you're able to stay in the Game a while longer; I'd rather not miss my chance at cutting you open."  
Turning her back to them, the black Sekirei walked away with her usual swagger, leaving the two by themselves.

They stood in silence for a moment, Akitsu keeping her focus on Karasuba until she was much too far away for her to keep her eyes on her. Turning to her Ashikabi, she slipped her hand into his. The eerie calm within him was almost unnerving. There was no doubt that Karasuba's little attempt at baiting him, or intimidating him, failed. Though it had been a while ago, Akitsu could still recall the dream she had experienced of Kenshiro's memories. Words would not affect a man like that.

"We should return home, Kenshiro-sama. The others might get worried." Akitsu's other hand rested on his forearm. Though somewhat cold to the touch, the Ice Sekirei's hands warmed at the touch of her Ashikabi. Would that she could always be this close to him.  
In silence, Kenshiro looked up to the northern skies, his gaze locked onto a point unseen by others. Whether or not Karasuba would have actually tried to kill him did not matter , for the Star of Death did not shine for him today.

* * *

The gate of the inn came into view as they rounded the street corner. The front door opened as soon as they had begun making their way down the front yard. Uzume came to meet them, cell phone in hand.

"You're finally back! You need to come inside quick; there's something you should see."  
The three of them came upon the rest of the residents sitting around the dining table. Miya and Kagari appeared relatively calm, though Matsu and Toyotama released a calming breath at seeing Kenshiro home at last.

"Ken-tan," Matsu beckoned him to come nearer to her, tablet computer in hand, "this was sent out to all Ashikabi only over an hour ago."  
She tilts the screen towards him, showing him the words 'First one to the Green Girl gets the prize!' There appeared to be coordinates as well.  
"I've triangulated the location, and I believe it's the botanical gardens near the center of the city. What's more," the text on the screen changed to the photo of a little blonde girl, "I'm fairly positive that this girl is the Sekirei that was mentioned."  
"Makes sense." Toyotama murmured, "I did overhear about an accident involving some Ashikabi assaulting a researcher from MBI with a young Sekirei that had yet to have been released."

They all waited for a response from their Ashikabi, his eyes concentrating on the picture of the child. She reminded him of Danne, a young girl scant above her age. He had been unable to save her, so many years ago. He would not make the same mistake again.  
The leathery cracking sound of his veins and muscles swelling in his arms grew in intensity but for a moment, a heaviness in the air around them denoting the stress of his aura upon them. Without a word, Kenshiro turned and stalked towards the door.  
Toyo and Akitsu shared knowing looks before following.

"Oh my, things are getting so energetic tonight." Miya commented with a soft smile. Kagari quickly excused himself from the table and made his way to his room. Matsu grinned from behind her glasses.  
"I'll keep you updated on the situation if anything changes," the Information Sekirei put a hand on Uzume's arm, "good luck Uzume-tan." The Cloth Sekirei couldn't help but grin.  
"They won't know what hit 'em."

* * *

There you have it. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and apologize if it wasn't as exciting as the previous few. I have already begun work on the next two chapters, so the waiting time will be far less... extended. Thank you once again for reading, and please leave reviews. I enjoy reading them, and if you allow Private Messages I will reply to them.


	9. Chapter 9 Hokuto & Nanto

Finally, Chapter 9 has been released. I was going to upload it yesterday, but for some reason the website would not let me access anything on my account. Strange. Has anyone else had that problem?

As always, thanks for reading.

Disclaimer: I neither own Sekirei nor do I own Fist of the North Star and their respective works.

* * *

Chapter 9 - Hokuto & Nanto

* * *

The night air was brisk, a mellow breeze passing through the city. The botanical gardens were for the most part quiet, save for the MBI personnel forming a protective ring around its perimeter. Tactical vehicles and armed personnel stood at the ready.  
A limo slowed to a stop roughly a block west of the botanical gardens, the doors opening to reveal two girls - the scythe-wielding Sekirei Yomi as well as the whip-wielding Mitsuha, - and their Ashikabi, Mikogami. Mutsu was ever-present, reclining in the comfort of the vehicle.

"Looks like we're the first ones to arrive. Good." He turned to his two Sekirei. "Head into the forest from the adjacent buildings' roofs, you ought to be able to avoid detection and reach the Sekirei quicker that way." He smiled that presumptuous smile of his. "You won't fail me this time, will you? Don't bother coming back if you can't even do something as simple as this; I don't have any need for useless Sekirei."  
"We won't fail you, Mikogami-sama." Mitsuha bowed slightly as she spoke so. Yomi followed suit but said nothing.  
The duo disappeared into the night sky when they leaped over and across the myriad of buildings. Mikogami retired to his limo, ordering his driving to place them in a street where it would be easier to see anything that transpired within the confines of the botanical gardens.

Mutsu looked at his Ashikabi for a time before he decided to voice the question hanging in the quiet air.  
"Do you have a plan in mind if the martial artist appears?" The matter of their last foray had to be addressed. Mutsu wasn't worried about other Sekirei arriving, he could handle the situation fairly easily. Even Yomi and Mitsuha could deal with most of the problems seeing as there would likely be no other single numbers here other than himself. What did bother him was the possibility of some stranger with strength to rival Miya's in combat prowess appearing out of thin air and shutting them down again.  
"That's partly the reason why we got here as quickly as we could." Mikogami grinned. "If we can swoop in and snatch this Sekirei before anyone else even gets the chance to arrive, we won't even have to think about that muscle-headed neanderthal ruining our evening."

* * *

Uzume thought that she would be able to catch up to them easily since Kenshiro wasn't a Sekirei and wouldn't be able to move as quickly as her kind could. That was what she had originally thought, anyway.  
It took a minute before she saw Akitsu and Toyotama, gathering speed to catch up to them. They were really booking it. She was surprised to find that neither of them were carrying Ken, nor was he with them.

"Yo!" Uzume called, falling in line with the other two. Toyotama nodded quickly. Akitsu merely motioned ahead of them, to their Ashikabi. Kenshiro was loping across the roof tops, leaping with great ease and alacrity. His movements were minimalist, exerting the most amount of energy without useless movements of the body. His body twisted easily in the air as he flew across gaps, cutting air resistance and pushing his weight downward when he began his descent. It was a sight to behold.  
"I guess all that muscle isn't just for show." Uzume chided jokingly. Toyotama had her usual sultry smile, while Akitsu looked on with her placid demeanor. Her eyes never deviated from her Ashikabi.

"I'm going to be honest, even I didn't think humans could move that fast." Toyotama spared a glance towards her fellow Sekirei. "Have either of you seen anything like that?"  
"No," Akitsu replied, "but there is a lot that we do not know about Kenshiro-sama. Where he is from, who his family is, all he has told us is that he is a master of Hokuto Shinken, and that he is here for something very important, involving the Sekirei project."  
"Big Dipper God Fist, sounds menacing." Toyo muttered. The mention of Hokuto Shinken brought back Uzume's memory of seeing those men Kenshiro had killed. The wounds looked strange, albeit brutal.  
"You have no idea." was all that she could muster.

It appeared as though they were nearing their destination, seeing as they could tell that Kenshiro had begun to slow his pace. Flood lights pointing upwards could be seen, most likely set up by MBI. One or two flickered out of sight, most likely due to contact with hostility.  
Hopefully they wouldn't be too late, as much for the little girl's sake as for the sake of anyone foolish enough to cross their path.

* * *

A squad of guards at the southern entrance to the botanical gardens were conversing casually, mainly about receiving the short end of the stick with this guard duty, when they heard the sound of foot steps headed their way. Turning as one, they saw a man in dark red fineries walking towards them, his white shoulder-cape billowing behind him. There was a disconcerting smile on his face.

"Well then, it seems like I can enjoy myself early tonight." His hedonistic grin widening. One of the guards took a step forward to shoo him away, but was cut short when the stranger suddenly appeared before him, having run the man through with his hand - as though it was a blade.  
Lifting the body, he casually tossed it aside, licking the blood off of his fingers. The other guards readied their rifles to take care of this threat, one of them calling out for support from their nearby allies. Steel crossbow bolts flew from the darkness, skewering the remaining three like pigs. The stranger laughed heartily, stepping over the bodies as though they were nothing but refuse.

"Taiju-sama," came a voice from behind him. Taiju turned to the large man prostrating himself behind him, a Goliath of a man compared to the people here. "Our men have begun securing the area. These weaklings rely on their advanced weapons to fight for them, they won't put up any resistance."  
"Good... good!" Taiju laughed again, a dark laugh that could send shivers down a man's spine. "Take up positions around the main entrances, but concentrate forces towards the Northern gate; that will be the direction that the Successor will be attempting to come through."  
"As you wish, Taiju-sama." With that, the large brute disappeared into the darkness, the sound of about a dozen men running past being the only indicator that anyone had been there.

"You'd best come quick, Successor of Hokuto... or your precious little stars will have to do for entertainment, and I play rough." Taiju laughed aloud at his own words, disappearing into the thick wilderness.

* * *

Although Takami hated that Minaka had gone forth with this stupid little game - and using Kuusano as some sort of prize worst of all, - this new development concerning these guerrilla fighters had her even more worried. They had systematically eliminated their forces surrounded the gardens and one of them had moved further in.  
Takami bit the end of her thumb in frustration. If that man went in there for the purpose of capturing a Sekirei...

Minaka got back up from the walloping he had taken from Takami's baseball swing using the phone, sliding back into his chair.  
"It seems we have some difficulties with tonight's game." He spoke admittedly. Reaching for the slightly dented phone receiver, he pressed one of the speed-dial numbers on it.  
"Karasuba-san, would you kindly come up to my office? I think I have a job that's to your liking."

After a few minutes of watching these brute squads over-taking his men with nothing but cross-bows, axes and heavy steel clubs - a feat not easily done considering they had the best training and equipment he could buy, - Minaka looked up to Karasuba exiting the elevator doors. She had that casual smile on her face that denoted annoyance at his beckoning.  
"Ah! Karasuba! Good timing. What would you say to doing a clean up of these..." he struggled to find a proper word, "insurgents?" Karasuba glanced over at the monitors, seeing the larger men slaughtering Minaka's soldiers, some of them cruelly using them for gruesome sport, and her smile widened. Looking at the Northern entrance, she noticed a familiar sight as a man nearly their equal in size appeared, moving towards the 'insurgents'. She could see him speaking and cracking his knuckles, but could not make out what the words were from this distance.

"I don't think I'll be needed for small-fry like that. Besides," she jutted her chin at the third screen, "I think the Ashikabi and Sekirei headed for the gardens will be able to handle it themselves. Let your game pieces clean up the mess for you."  
Minaka and Takami looked at the figure standing before the crowd of warriors, three girls - Sekirei they appeared to be, - standing a few feet behind him. Oddly enough, he took a fighting stance, even though he had Sekirei at his beck and call. Or so it appeared to be at the very least. Takami's eyes narrowed at the familiarity of that stance, something eliciting a spark in the back of her mind. Minaka, on the other hand, practically giggled with glee at the new development. Grabbing a remote control from his drawer, he set the screen to move onto the larger screen against one of the walls.

"This looks like it could be quite enjoyable!" Minaka's raucous laugh echoed in the chamber. Karasuba smiled a predator's smile, leaning against the desk while she looked on at the scene that was about to unfurl. She loved watching that man rip apart people with his bare hands over and over again on the old footage they had gotten, but now she could watch it unfurl in real-time. This would most definitely be quite enjoyable.

* * *

They had spotted the smoke from the wreckage long before actually reaching the entrance to the botanical gardens. The bright orange glow that reached the few clouds in the night sky belied the stark contrast of the MBI soldiers sprawled across the street, wounded or worse.  
Kenshiro stretched his arm out to the side, motioning for the girls to wait there for the time being. Seeing as they weren't to interfere or harm humans - the one incident concerning Toyotama notwithstanding, - they moved back and to the side, busying themselves with a look over the area. Even though it hadn't been that long since the e-mail was sent, a lot of collateral damage had been caused.

The large thugs cackled excitedly at seeing their new prey, some of them salivating at the possible prizes they could take for themselves if they took apart the man standing in their way.  
Kenshiro quickly took the men in with one look while they leapt off of the wreckage. They jeered, brandishing their weapons. Of the group, a few of them were more subdued. They were likely to be the more skilled fighters, as pointless as that would end up being for them.  
The thugs clamored off of the wrecked personnel vehicles and moved to surround Kenshiro when they realized that he was going to try and walk right through. Having been blocked off completely, Ken stopped, completely relaxed and silent in the face of murderous brigands.

"Disperse. You are not worth my time." Kenshiro looked ahead, into the forest. These men did not require his attention. Their taunting turned to indignation. How dare this fool make a mockery of them? One of them motioned for some of his comrades to attack from behind.  
"We were gonna kill you quick, but now you've gone and pissed us off!" He yelled, unhooking his axe from his belt and charging in from the front.  
As four men reached a distance of two feet from Kenshiro, the master of Hokuto Shinken twisted his left leg back and delivered a whirling round-house kick that twisted 360 degrees, his foreleg smashing into the first bandit's skull and continuing on into the three others, sending them crashing into the ground about ten feet away in a heap.  
Kenshiro finished the turn just in time to see the fifth opponent's axe come down over his head, only to stop nary an inch from his face. The brigand couldn't understand why his arm had stopped, even attempting to wrench his arm back, to no avail. Looking down quickly, he saw Kenshiro's hand casually grasping the under-side of his arm at the elbow, releasing him after he had noticed.

The man looked on in bewilderment as Kenshiro took two steps back, absentmindedly dusting off his pants at the hip. A moment later, the man's elbow swelled grotesquely until it burst apart, the remains of his arm gripping tightly to the axe still as its blade hit the ground with a dull thunk. The four men had barely gotten to their feet when their heads exploded, the bodies standing awkwardly for a moment while the blood rushed out of the neck in a gruesome fountain, then fell over back into a heap.  
The remaining men, a good dozen left, looked on in horror. The more skilled warriors - though not as taken aback, - were most definitely apprehensive. As one, they launched an assault on Kenshiro, throwing axes and forming up a wedge in order to better take down this monster of a fighter. White cloth flew across the air between the projectiles and their target, catching them deftly before sending them careening away in a flourish. Uzume had taken a position to Kenshiro's right flank, while Toyotama and Akitsu moved to his left.  
They were about to intercept the remainder of the group when Uzume shot them a warning look, shaking her head quickly. It would be best if they did not get in the way of what was to come.

"...aaaaAAAAAAA-" Kenshiro roared, sweeping into his natural fighting stance, his hands darting out and striking the first line of men.  
"-AAATA!" They staggered from the blows, hindering the movement of the warriors behind them. The rear lines moved between them, only to be struck back all the same.  
"AAATATATATATATATATATATATATATATA-"  
Kenshiro's fists flew in an impossible blur, waves upon waves of fists and hand movements crashing into the warriors like a raging typhoon upon a crumbling cliff face. Their weapons broke under the pressure of the strikes, their bodies swelled awkwardly as the blows rained down.  
"-TATATA... WATAH!" One last flourishing strike, pushing back the momentum and sending them all back a few steps, and Kenshiro resumed his stance, staring down at the men who did not yet comprehend that they were dead.  
They did not get the chance to think upon their fate, their flesh rending apart in a macabre display of Kenshiro's deadly skills. Kenshiro did not wait for the bodies to fall onto the ground before he continued towards the forest, speckles of blood covering his chest and face.

Toyotama looked at the bodies on the ground, conflicted. She was impressed by the feat; she did not even know Sekirei who could do such a thing. Sekirei 01 and 04 were the ones Toyotama believed would have the skill to do something similar, but not with their bare hands. She also felt the ease of which Kenshiro slaughtered these men sobering. That he could do such things without batting an eye was not something she expected of the quiet, gentle man she had come to know and - embarrassing though it would be for her to admit out loud, - obsess over during the past couple of weeks.

Akitsu ignored the bodies on the ground, moving instead to follow her Ashikabi. She knew what kind of people these men were. The hate and lust in their eyes when they looked at her, the kind of people who wouldn't see her as a person, but as a play-thing. She did not mourn nor care about these men. They deserved their fate for killing the MBI personnel, and she sympathized with her Ashikabi. She knew though, that in his heart, Kenshiro held no pleasure in taking someone's life. For him it wasn't about killing for pleasure or because he wanted to, she could see it in his eyes.  
Kenshiro-sama was strong, stronger than she had believed he could be. Sekirei were capable of amazing things in human standards, which statistically speaking made them superior in many aspects, but Kenshiro appeared to be the exception. For a moment she contemplated what kind of unforgiving upbringing could have forged him into the man he is now, but pushed it aside. She wanted to stay near him, to help him. That he was here in order to save a Sekirei from people like these was testament enough of his character.

Seeing Akitsu follow Ken further in, Uzume moved towards Toyotama, careful not to step anywhere near the remains of the bandits. It wasn't as much of a shock for her to see Ken-chan wreck house, since she had seen the after-math of his previous rumble with some local Yakuza, but actually seeing him do it was something else. It all happened in a few moments, she wouldn't have believed that he could do those kinds of things had she not seen it with her own eyes. When it came down to it, Uzume wasn't scared. She knows Ken, or at least what's in his heart. There was no pleasure in him killing those people, and there was never any blood-thirst in him through-out the entire time that she'd been with him. He wasn't that kind of person. She just hoped that the others thought the same way.

Uzume was about to ask Toyotama something when she heard something behind her. Turning around, they both noticed to their dismay that another Ashikabi and his Sekirei had arrived on the scene, and the grisly spectacle didn't appear to be to their liking.

A scruffy looking guy with a shaggy head of hair was flanked by two dark haired girls in what appeared to be outfits made from latex or vinyl. It made them look like a pair of Dominatrix's. Dominatrix? Uzume never thought she'd have a moment where the plural form of a Dominatrix would come into play, at any point in her aside, the guy looked awfully familiar to Uzume though. Before she could ask him a question, the scruffy Ashikabi - looking a little perturbed by the scene before him, - muttered something to his Sekirei, who nodded before taking each others' hand. Purple electricity enveloped their free hands, which they now pointed towards Kenshiro.  
She was too far away from Kenshiro for her cloth to deflect the lightning, and Toyo-chan was only now noticing that they had guests. Her only hope now was for Akitsu to deflect it with her powers or for Ken to leap out of the way before it was too late.

"Ken! Behind you!" Uzume called out, bringing everyone's attention for just a split second. Toyotama took that moment to dash towards the lightning twins. A whirling gout of lightning streaked towards Ken and Akitsu, the twin Sekirei charging up another blast for the Staff Sekirei. Seeing what was coming for them, Kenshiro pulled Akitsu behind him, turning to take the brunt of the attack when a thick wall of ice erupted from the ground, dispersing the lightning with not a second to spare.  
Ken turned to Akitsu, who dissolved the ice before putting a hand protectively onto her Ashikabi's arm.  
"We can protect you as well, Kenshiro-sama." Her tone was matter-of-factually, but gentle and warm. Kenshiro could only nod, placing a hand over her and giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"Everyone, stop fighting!" Uzume shouted, moving up between Kenshiro and the new-comers. Toyotama and the lightning twins stopped just as they were about to clash, the Staff Sekirei moving back while the twin Sekirei turned to Uzume.  
"Fine," the Ashikabi grumbled, "but you'd better explain this-" he made a sweeping motion with his hand, indicating the mess on the ground, "-right now, or we're taking your Ashikabi down before he can get to the girl." His twin Sekirei moved in front of him protectively.

Uzume and Toyotama were attempting to explain the scene before they had arrived and the battle that took place between the men and Kenshiro, when a hand on their shoulders silenced them. Kenshiro walked up to the disheveled man, looking down at him like a normal-sized man would look at a child. Feeling nervous about his proximity to them, the twin Sekirei moved between them. Kenshiro did not break his steady gaze from the man to look at them; they did not warrant his attention.  
"Men like these do not conform to the rules of society." His voice was hard, the force and tone behind it demanding attention. "They do not think of the consequences to their actions, to them conscience does not matter. They would have happily killed me and then taken these girls to do unspeakable things." Kenshiro's eyes took on a crippling, crushingly hard edge, making the twin Sekirei take a step back.  
"Would you rather that I let them take my life, so that they may then turn their attention to these girls? To the three of you? Would you rather that I let monsters like these do as they please? To kill, pillage, and rape as they desire? To satisfy your ignorant view of the world?"

"The cops could've taken care of them, or MBI could've sent the Disciplinary squad." The shaggy looking man's voice became heated as Kenshiro turned to walk back to the forest. "I get that these ass-holes needed to be stopped, but you didn't have to kill them all!"  
Kenshiro had walked a fair bit before he stopped. Not bothering to turn around, he simply tilted his head and gave a grim side-long glance. Raising his left fist and clenching it, a faint blue aura enveloped him.  
"Mine is a fist wielded by the god of death himself. A god of death  
does not kill out of self-interest." The Ashikabi looked confused for a moment. He'd never seen the like.  
"...Wha?"  
"Ambition. Envy. Hatred. Those who kill others based on these negative instincts are destined to walk down the path of evil. It is because he listens to the will of the heavens and their desire to realize the enlightenment of the masses, and not to his own feelings, that a god of death takes the lives of others." Kenshiro turned fully towards them all, displaying his frightening aura in full, a faint image of a glowing man - akin to Kenshiro's stature, - just above him.  
"He kills people for the sake of the people."

Ken looked at Uzume, then to Toyotama, and finally to the Ashikabi and his Sekirei. "I used these fists of Musou to kill these men, so they would never again kill like they killed the men standing guard here. So they would not hurt Uzume, Toyotama, Akitsu..." he stared into the man's eyes. "...nor you or those who stand with you."  
The shaggy looking man had to force himself to swallow, having forgotten to breathe for a moment. His instincts had screamed inside of him to run, but he felt as though he was held in place. Letting out a sobering breath, he crouched down and put his hands on his knees, his two Sekirei looking down at him to see if he was alright, shooting nervous glances at the man standing before them. After a few seconds the man stood up straight, taking a few steps forward. His Sekirei followed suit.  
"Looks like we got off on a rocky start. Name's Seo. These two are Hibiki-" he motioned to the girl with the magenta colored outfit, who nodded, "-and Hikari." The other girl, who wore the dark blue outfit and had a more developed chest, crossed her arms under chest and scrutinized Kenshiro.

"Ah! Now I remember you!" Uzume exclaimed, pointing at Seo in an exaggerated manner. Seo jumped at her statement.  
"Hey! It's rude to point!" Hikari yelled, clenching her fists. Uzume ignored her, which heated Hikari's temper further - luckily Hibiki appeared to be used to her counterpart's easily-angered personality and set herself to calming her down.  
"You've been around Miya-san's inn a few times, now that I remember." Uzume continued. Seo blinked a few times before showing a look of recognition.  
"Oh! You're Uzume. I didn't recognize you in that get-up. It looks good on you." Seo grinned, which was tempered by a punch to the back of the head by Hikari. Rubbing his now sore head, Seo turned to Kenshiro.  
"I can see now that you're not some blood-thirsty thug looking for a fight. I was going to fight you because I'm here to make sure the little girl in there stays safe from the Ashikabi that are here to snatch her up like some sorta prize." Ken merely looked at him, which made the exchange of words a little awkward. Toyotama had to intervene, while Akitsu had returned to her Ashikabi's side from the edge of the forest.

"Kenshiro-sama is here for the same reason, and all the better for it-" she glanced at the after-math of their arrival. "-since it looks as though Ashikabi aren't the only ones interested in this little venture into the woods."  
"This new group does look dangerous, and you would think MBI would've sent people in by now." Hibiki commented, tracing a finger along her jaw line. "I've never seen or heard of this group before, so I think we're in the dark on this one."  
"It would be wise to join forces for the time being." It was Akitsu who spoke, her tone steady and calm. Sharing looks of comprehension, they silently agreed and set forth deeper into the forest.  
With all the time wasted, who knows what - or who, - might have already gotten here before them.

* * *

Two Sekirei were moving steadily further into the forest, keeping a watchful eye out for their target or perhaps other Sekirei here for the same purpose. Noise had carried over from the far end of the area, something akin to an explosion in the distance, followed by faint yelling - or was it screaming? It did not concern them.  
Everything appeared to be going smoothly until Yomi, the Scythe wielding Sekirei, was plucked out of her momentum and thrown against a thick tree. With a grunt of shock, Yomi slumped down, her weapon having fallen by the way-side.  
Seeing her partner attacked, Mitsuha - readying her whip, - quickly turned to find the attacker.

"Well well well... This is interesting." Taiju stepped casually before Mitsuha, a grave mistake due to his underestimation of her powers she thought. "So you must be... Sekirei was what he decided to call you, correct?" The man smiled, but it was not a kind smile. It looked more like a snake baring its fangs at its prey. "Since we're all here, I might as well have a little fun with you while I wait for the real prize to come to me."

* * *

Kenshiro moved methodically through the thick brush of the forest, slipping quietly between trees. Akitsu followed closely, having to leap over certain expanses of brush if it looked too daunting for her to follow her Ashikabi without making a sound.  
They had gone ahead, with their group splitting into three in order to cover more ground. Seo and his Sekirei had decided to follow the outer rim of the forest eastward, whereas Toyotama and Uzume would travel over the tree-tops to see if they could spot anything from up high.

In such a predominantly uninhabited area, it was child's play for Kenshiro's inner-sight to differentiate the life force of people as opposed to plants, seeing a few people nearby.  
It did not take long before Ken found himself at the edge of a clearing. His brow twitched in recognition of those he saw before him. Two Sekirei whom he had encountered some time ago were fighting against someone. He moved fluidly, akin to a practitioner of one of the Nanto Seiken styles.

The girl in the black dress - scythe in hand, - twirled her weapon and swung it upwards to create an air vacuum in the direction of her opponent before dashing forward. The man flipped easily over the attack and suddenly flew towards the ground like an arrow using a flying kick. Putting up her scythe to deflect the sudden attack, Yomi's weapon broke in her hands cleanly the moment that the kick struck her. Stunned, Yomi staggered back a few steps.  
A whip lashed at the man's feet not a second later, Mitsuha attempting to use the lull in Taiju's defenses to catch up his feet and hopefully negate his speed. Her whip came back to her shorter than before, pieces of the weapon falling to the ground in bits. Her adversary smiled wickedly towards her, his hands open-ended and flat, similar to blades. He flew at her in the blink of an eye, his hands rapidly flickering towards her in a flurry of blows. Though she tried to dodge, Mitsuha was caught up by the hurricane of strikes and fell a few feet back, grievous cuts gleaning blood from her rapidly. The whip Sekirei struggled to get back to her feet for a moment before she resigned to lay on the ground where she was, unable to fight any longer.

Now it was only Yomi and Taiju. The Nanto warrior strutted confidently towards his next victim for a moment before closing the gap between them quickly, mimicking the same fighting position for his hands that he had used to strike down Mitsuha.  
His hands found only air however, when Yomi was abruptly pulled out of harm's way and a hand flew into his vision. The hand knocked away his strikes with practiced precision, causing him to fall back a few steps.  
Before him stood Kenshiro, the target he had been searching for during these past few days. He had pulled the girl out of his reach and was now pushing her behind him. She looked surprised at first, possibly angry that he had suddenly grabbed her, but knew well enough to keep her mouth shut - for the time being.

"At last, I've found you." Taiju exclaimed, throwing his arms wide. "The last practitioner of Hokuto has deemed me worthy of his presence!" His laugh echoed off of the copse of trees. Kenshiro moved around him, taking him in with the utmost scrutiny. While Taiju's attention was on Ken, Akitsu was able to pull Yomi towards a safer distance. They would need to find a way to get to Mitsuha without garnering attention to themselves. The Ice Sekirei was confident that her Ashikabi could defeat this man, regardless of how strong he was against Sekirei.

"Ah, but where are my manners? I do apologize." Taiju grinned, performing a half-bow. "My name is Taiju, the Junsei of the Nanto Generals, and master of Nanto Koshu Ken."  
Kenshiro kept his emotions in check; he would reveal nothing to this man. Junsei? His instincts told him that this Taiju character could not be the Star of Martyrdom, he reeked with the blood of countless upon his hands.  
Kenshiro slid into his preferred Hokuto fighting stance, motioning for Taiju to come at him with two of his fingers.  
"If death is what you want, then I shall give it."

Going into a low crouch, Taiju let out a battle cry before lunging forward, his hands beginning to fly once more as a blur of stabbing hand strikes flew towards Kenshiro. Ken weaved his body side to side, rocking back when the strikes went for his chest or stomach. Through minimal use of movement he was able to slip around Taiju's attack, though he did garner some clean cuts across his arms and shoulders. After a few seconds of letting Taiju attack him, Kenshiro swiftly slapped one of his hands away as it headed for his throat and immediately followed up with a stiff open-handed strike to his chest, sending him staggering back a few feet.

"The true successor to Nanto Koshu Ken, let alone the Junsei himself would never fight so poorly." Kenshiro had relaxed from his fighting stance; there was no need to do so against someone whose techniques did not even rival Shin's at his weakest. Kenshiro's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You are not the Junsei, nor are you a practitioner of Nanto Koshu Ken."  
"Ah, I've been found out I suppose." Taiju chuckled, rubbing the place on his chest where he was struck. "I suppose I'll have to deal with this in the usual manner." Taiju's normally complacent grin became a devilish sneer before the Nanto warrior flickered forward with great speed. He was before Kenshiro within the span of a breath, crouched down with his left arm raised - hand raised flatly upwards, - and his other arm reaching low, palm raised upwards. In a split second his hands switched positions, a wave of Ki ripping between the two hands and slicing a deep gash into Kenshiro's chest from the side of his navel up to his collar bone.  
Kenshiro moved back a step, touching the fresh wound and placing his bloodied finger to his tongue, spitting out the blood in an act of indifference towards the pain. Taiju stood up straighter, his arms moving up in an intricate manner - the forms making it seem as though he had eight arms moving in unison.

"My true style is the most elegant of Nanto techniques; the Red Munia Fist! I will cut you down to nothing! Takusatsu Ranha!"  
Taiju suddenly leaped into the air, hands raised for a downward stabbing blow. Just as he felt his hands about to tear into Kenshiro's flesh, the man of Hokuto's form dissipated into the air like a ghost. Panicking, Taiju immediately made to pivot and strike out behind him but found himself unable to move. Realizing too late, his temples had been pierced by Kenshiro's thumbs.  
"The Lingering Fist of Regret," Kenshiro explained, "once I remove my thumbs, you will die..." he slipped his thumbs out of Taiju's temples, "...in ten seconds."  
"You won't survive long in this world, man of Hokuto..." Taiju muttered, "you'll end up just like your predecess-!" his sentence was cut off when his head began to swell, shutting his throat and ripping itself off of his shoulders in a gruesome display. The limp body twitched once or twice before falling onto the grass with a thud.

Though she could barely move, Mitsuha attempted to push herself away from the approaching Kenshiro using her feet. After seeing what he had done to the guy who had just ripped into both her and Yomi, she didn't want anything to do with him lest she end up the same way.  
Someone's hands gently stopped her from backing away, her quick glance to her side revealing it to be Akitsu - the same Sekirei they had failed to capture a few weeks ago. Yomi nursed a sore arm, though it didn't look broken.  
"Calm down Mitsuha; if he'd wanted us dead he would have let that guy do it for him, don't you think?" Though it didn't show on her face, Yomi's tone of voice betrayed her irritation at being bested by some filthy human.  
"What now?" Mitsuha asked weakly. "Neither of us are in any shape to do anything else, and you heard Mikogami-sama..." She let the rest of the phrase drop, not wanting to say it out loud. Yomi grimaced at that memory.

They waited silently while Kenshiro tended to Mitsuha's wounds, the blonde girl looking away as Kenshiro's hands gently administered care to her now staunched cuts. Seeing that she was healing already due to her Sekirei healing capabilities, Kenshiro stood up and took one last look around. Seeing something that none of the others did, he began to walk further into the forest, Akitsu in tow. The Ice Sekirei gave one last look at the two Sekirei before catching up to her Ashikabi.  
"H-hey, wait!" Yomi managed to stutter out, causing Ken to stop.  
"If you continue to live as slaves," he spoke, "then you will most certainly die."

* * *

Kuusano was roused suddenly from her sleep when she heard rustling from nearby. Her breath caught in her throat as she froze in fear, worried that it was the same person from before who had tried to hurt her.  
Moving quietly to the edge of her tree shelter, Kuu peeked towards the brush and felt her heart skip a beat when she saw a tall man come into view. His soft blue eyes shone brightly in the moonlight, and his gentle smile brought on a smile of her own.  
"Kenshiro-nii-chan!" She squealed, running to him and clutching to his leg, looking up at him with big eyes. Reaching down, Kenshiro lifted her into his arms, cradling her upon the crook of one arm and resting his free arm casually at his side. Kuusano put her arms tightly around his neck, resting her head against the side of his own.

They moved out into a large path in the forest where Akitsu was waiting for the others to join them. Uzume and Toyotama had just arrived, Seo and his Sekirei trailing not far behind. The trio crowd around their Ashikabi and the little girl, moving as a group towards their allies.  
"Sorry we got separated," Seo ran a hand through his unkempt hair, "MBI started sending extra troops to take care of those creeps on the other side of the gardens, so we had to head back further into the center."  
"Other than you guys, we didn't see any other Sekirei or Ashikabi," Hibiki mentioned. Toyotama nodded, looking back at Kenshiro.

"We ended up finding a whole lot of nothing on our end, we just got here a few seconds before you guys actually." She leaned against her staff lazily. "I'm fairly certain we shouldn't have been the first ones here, so I'm a little wary about our leaving this place. Not sure if there's an ambush set up just outside for us or not."  
"Ken-chan can wipe the floor with anyone who tries to block us in. Right~?" Uzume commented, leaning against Kenshiro's free arm. Kuusano had fallen asleep after being in the uncomfortable wilderness for so long. Kenshiro beckoned them to follow as he moved past them towards the northern exit.

"Hey," Hikari beckoned, nodding towards the sleeping girl. "She hasn't been winged yet." They all turned to Kenshiro, who stopped to return their questioning looks with an admonishing one.  
"That isn't why I am here." Seo chuckled and stuck his hands in his pockets.  
"That sounds fine to me, I'd rather leave her in your hands than anyone else's, honestly."

Their celebration was short-lived when figures dropped from quite a height in front of the Northern gate, barring their path. Mutsu had dropped first, carrying Hayato Mikogami. They were closely followed by Taki - a bluish-haired young woman with an elegant white dress that opened at the front and revealed much to those who stared. Beside her, Yomi brought along an injured Mitsuha, though they stood further off to the side of their companions. A girl who looked very much like Mitsuha - known as Mitsuki, wearing a similar yellow and black outfit that finished at the bottom as dress with stockings, - had dropped to flank her Ashikabi.  
Though Mitsuha's and Yomi's weapons were destroyed by the now deceased Taiju, and Mutsu's weapon was at his side, they could not see any pertinent weaponry upon neither Taki nor Mitsuki.

"Oh! Look, Mutsu! They have her!" Mikogami spoke excitedly, "Quick, let's take them out so that we can bring her home! I need to salvage something out of this waste of a night, since I need to replace the two crappy Sekirei I'll be getting rid of." Mutsu grimaced slightly at the sight of Kenshiro holding the little Kuusano close to him, his memories of their last encounter all too fresh in his mind.  
"I hope you haven't forgotten who their Ashikabi apparently is, Mikogami-sama." He muttered, nodding towards Ken. Seeing him made Mikogami swallow hard, not forgetting that previous night either, as well as the promise done on his life.

"You'd just toss your Sekirei out on the street for failing in their duty?!" Hikari bellowed. "Tch. Even Seo's better than a creep like you." Seo couldn't feel a little bit of the sting in that back-handed compliment. Mikogami shrugged nonchalantly.  
"If they can't do what they're told, then I have no use for them. It's as simple as that, really."  
"You're scum." Toyotama grinned menacingly. "Akitsu should've let Kenshiro-sama kill you when he had the chance."

Hayato's Sekirei moved up defensively at those words, prompting Akitsu to form up a wall of ice between them. Uzume and Toyotama flew to each side, launching a pincer attack on them while they had the element of surprise. Seo and his Sekirei moved to the side in order to provide support, while Akitsu split the ice wall apart in order to get closer to the action.  
This all happened in the span of six seconds, everyone bursting into motion. Kenshiro looked at Yomi and Mitsuha, the two girls nursing each others' wounds while they could - knowing that no matter the outcome, they would be left to fend for themselves hereafter.

Kenshiro began to make his way towards them when shards of ice pelted the ground near him, Mutsu dodging the projectiles and landing before the man of Hokuto. Seeing his predicament, and having his sword out already, Mutsu summoned up jagged rocks from beneath Ken's feet in order to get the upper hand as quickly as possible. Kenshiro moved fluidly out of place and behind the Sekirei, causing Mutsu to leap out of potential harm's way.

Mist appeared to envelop the area. He could feel their life force more easily now, without the disturbance of all the vivid plant-life disrupting his extra senses. Mutsu was moving away in order to circle around and flank him, while Taki positioned herself at the opposite end. Uzume appeared to be fighting Mitsuki, while streaks of purple lightning flew past Kenshiro's head. The lightning dissipated the mist for a moment, the dense obscuring cloud lightening up at times when Taki had to defend herself against the lightning twins.  
The two groups of Sekirei clashed around Kenshiro, fighting hard against one another. The sight of it did not sit well with him. He would have to finish the fight quickly.

In a blur of motion, the successor of Hokuto Shinken flickered into view of Taki, a finger striking at the side of her neck before he disappeared again. The Sekirei's eyes slowly closed before she fell in a heap on the ground, sleeping. The mist evaporated almost instantly, revealing the battlefield.  
Uzume had Mitsuki wrapped in her folds of cloth, slamming her into the ground like a flail before moving towards her. She spoke the words of her contract after touching her Sekirei crest, rendering her immobile.  
Toyotama and Akitsu had teamed up against Mutsu, who was slowly retreating towards Mikogami. While Akitsu's ice would hinder Mutsu's movement and lessen his blows, Toyotama would flank him and bite at his heels with her staff.

"That is enough." Kenshiro commanded. He was making his way to them, Uzume following closely behind with Yomi and Mitsuha. They appeared to be in better condition, most likely to some of Kenshiro's Tsubo techniques.  
"You have lost," Kenshiro continued, "Whatever it is you believe you are gaining from fighting amongst yourself, you will never achieve it. Fighting for the sake of power-" he turned to look at Mikogami, "-and greed will only bring you pain in the end. Such things lead only to the path of evil.  
"I will release you from the bonds of servitude."

Mutsu looked apprehensive.  
"What do you mean, 'bond of servitude?'" He quickly glanced at Akitsu, whose forehead was clear of her Sekirei crest. He had an inkling as to what he meant. Mikogami did not appear to want to hear whatever it was that Kenshiro had to say.  
"Mutsu! What are you waiting for? Finish them off!"  
"Be quiet, Hayato. We no longer have a say in the matter." Mutsu turned to Kenshiro expectantly.

Ken beckoned for Uzume to move Yomi and Mitsuha closer, the whip Sekirei more than apprehensive even after Kenshiro had protected them and tended to their wounds.  
Lifting Yomi's chin gently so that he could look more closely at her face - which resulted in very heated cheeks on her part, and a little jealousy at the shared contact they two had on the part of Kenshiro's Sekirei, - he moved his hand to the back of her neck, using his thumb and index finger to press two identical points on opposite sides of the neck. For a moment, Yomi lost the strength in her legs. Uzume luckily held her up while she regained her senses. The Sekirei crest on her back faded back to its dormant state. The surprise on her face was less than it could have been, seeing as she was intelligent enough to know of his ability to do so, given that Akitsu was no longer a Scrapped Number.

Mitsuha looked at Kenshiro warily. Seeing that Yomi appeared unharmed, she staggered forward, leaning against him for support much to her dismay. It made it easier for Ken to press her Tsubo, garnering the same effect.  
"Hey... what do you think you're doing?" Mikogami interjected, craning his neck to try and see what Kenshiro was up to. Yomi and Mitsuha looked at him worriedly for a moment, moving to the side after Uzume ushered them away from Ken and Mutsu.  
"They would have been abandoned by that fool with nowhere or no one to help them." Kenshiro stood tall against the Earth Sekirei. "You may now choose. Be released from your bond to live tomorrow, or die protecting your little tyrant."  
Mutsu gave an exasperated sigh, scratching his right temple with the pommel of his sword. "You're not making this difficult; I'd rather live if that's alright with you."

Mutsu was a little surprised at the sensation of being disconnected from his Ashikabi, but the wash of relief to know that he was still capable of being winged - somehow, - was a little reassuring. He would have hoped that he could have simply been rid of the entire winging process, but perhaps that was being this man's power. He couldn't fault him for that, he did get some freedom back, and he still had his head.

"Here, Uzume-san." Kenshiro beckoned, giving Kuusano to the awaiting arms of the Cloth Sekirei. "I need all of you to leave this place." The look in his eyes told her all she needed to know.  
"Alright guys, let's get the heck out of here. I've had enough of trees and dirt to last me a life-time."Toyotama and Akitsu shared a quick look before complying. Yomi looked as though she wanted to say something to Kenshiro but must have decided against it for now, opting to follow the 'herd' as it were, along with Mitsuha who absentmindedly nursed her stomach wound. It would heal in time due to a Sekirei's quickened healing factor, but an open wound was still an open wound, no matter how quickly it healed.

"Alright, sounds good to me." Seo yawned, putting an arm around each of his Sekirei, which rewarded him with an elbow to both of his sides. Putting an arm around their Sekirei, the Lightning Twins made off with him, saying a quick farewell to their temporary allies.  
Mutsu looked up to the sky to a slowly growing black blot in the sky - most likely the helicopter coming for Taki and Mitsuki, - and sheathed his sword. "Normally the Sekirei who defeats their opponent needs to stay with the body until MBI can preform the extraction," he glanced at the quickly fading shapes of the others, "but I guess an Ashikabi will do just fine."  
Mutsu began to make his way out of the area, stopping just past Kenshiro. "I hope we don't see each other again; no offense, but things tend to get a little dangerous around you."

Kenshiro gave him a side-long glance. "I hope that someday you can all live without fear." He turned back to Mikogami. "Neither fear of me or of those who would use you."  
Mutsu's lips spread into a small smile. This was a strange one. He looked scary and definitely acted like it, but something about him made him seem... he wasn't sure. It was a familiar feeling, like an old memory that kept escaping him.

* * *

It was a few minutes after the rest of them had left, and MBI's helicopter was about to descend. Kenshiro stood before the 15-year old, glaring down at him like a god would look down at an insect. Mikogami, without the protection of his Sekirei, looked brow-beaten. At first he had tried to escape while Kenshiro was occupied with Mutsu and the others, but the moment Kenshiro had stared him down mid-conversation, his feet had frozen. His entire body had told him 'run, run or you're going to get killed!', but his feet wouldn't obey. To say that he was shaken was an under-statement.

Kenshiro leaned in, putting his hand around the ruffled collar of Hayato's jacket, and lifted him clear off the ground - a good five feet at the very least. The ease of which Kenshiro did such a thing made Hayato stiff as a board, his mind reeling at the possible things this man might do to him. He had, after all, promised that he would kill him.

"You are still a child, and as such I will spare your life." Hayato relaxed a bit, letting out a long sigh of relief. "However-" he froze up a bit that that, "-you will leave this place, and never return. If I find out that you've lingered and have begun harassing more Sekirei, and I WILL find out..." Kenshiro brought Hayato's face dangerously close to his own. "I will not hesitate to send you to hell. This I promise on my life and on the lives of those you've harmed."

Tossing the child onto the ground like a sack of potatoes, Kenshiro began making his way back to his home. The helicopter had just touched the ground and would most likely give Hayato a lift out of here if he so wished it. The boy no longer mattered to him; he had made his point very clear.

* * *

A few of MBI's suits were standing around their president, relaying information on the hospital incident as well as the currently developing event in the botanical gardens.  
"-no sign of Izumi Higa's Sekirei as of yet, our systems weren't calibrated for the event that a Sekirei could be unwinged. We so far believed that termination was the only way to remove the bond of a Sekirei and their Ashikabi." Another suit chimed in.  
"As for the Green Girl event, it seems as though she's been secured by a group of Sekirei from the Northern section of the city, and Hayato Mikogami's Sekirei have either been eliminated or have been cut off from our systems. We believe it to be the same person from the hospital incident." The man put a finger to his ear piece for a moment. "Hayato Mikogami is on the helicopter headed here."

Minaka rested his chin upon his steepled fingers, looking at the screens showing him the city.  
"Hmm... call in the Disciplinary Squad. I want them to-" his sentence was stopped short, Minaka Hiroto frozen stock-still. He sat like that for a few second, long enough for his assistants to grow a little uneasy before he shook the strange feeling away.  
"...No... don't bother looking for the missing Sekirei." He gave the suits a dismissive wave. "They're not a priority, and will resurface soon enough. We should concentrate on more pressing matters."

A voice within Minaka's mind purred and cooed, soothing the so-called genius with words of wisdom. The Sekirei could wait, there were things of cosmic importance, things that held the fates of the very gods at stake. A few Sekirei were the least of his worries.

* * *

It appeared to be quite late when Kenshiro arrived at Izumo Inn. The others were most likely either already in bed or were waiting for him inside. Half-way home, Ken begun to simply walk the rest of the way. The quiet moments like this, which were abundant back where he was from, were now few and far between. He would not have imagined that he would have missed the days of quiet peace he had when he traveled the arid landscapes.

The light at the front door was lit, and there wasn't a sound outside of the inn. The door opened before he even had the chance to open it. A surprised Miya stood before him, her expression melting into a smile a relief at seeing him.  
"Welcome home, Kenshiro-san." Ken replied with a slight bow. "Did everyone arrive safely?"  
"Yes, though I was surprised by how many new people they brought with them. You're not the kind of person who would pick up strange girls off the street, are you?" Though she was teasing him, she could not remove the hint of jealous curiosity.  
Miya hadn't noticed that she had placed her hand on Kenshiro's arm until he had placed it lightly in his own while he led her inside.  
"I refuse to stand idly by while the strong bully the weak." He did not look at her as he said so, but she could see the conviction in his eyes and hear the strength in his voice. "So long as they wish it, I will shield them from harm."

Kenshiro felt light surprise when Miya placed a hand gently upon his face. "That is what I always saw in you," Miya smiled warmly. "That spark of life inside of you that was so familiar to me. You remind me a lot of my husband."  
"I am sorry for your loss..." Kenshiro bowed his head solemnly. "...I too, have..." He had to stop himself from speaking the words out loud. Even now, the loss of Yuria weighed so heavily on his heart. She had been his soul-mate. He clenched his fist in frustration, calming the sorrow in his heart.  
Miya put a hand over her heart, feeling the pang of sadness so vivid within Kenshiro that mirrored her own due to the loss of Takehito. The land-lady rested her other hand on his own heart in a comforting manner.

"It's hard, isn't it?" She whispered, her eyes betraying the deep sadness that was within her own heart. The words she spoke reminded him of when he had asked the same thing of Lynn, the first time they had met all those years ago in her village.  
"...Yes." Kenshiro gave Miya a reassuring smile. "But I am not alone anymore. I know that now."

* * *

Once again, thank you for reading, and don't forget to leave a review. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to send me a Private Message. I read and answer all Private Messages I receive and all reviews that allow replies from me.


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